


the art of pretending

by dinosar



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, RATING HAS OFFICIALLY GONE UP, Rating will change, i'll probably add more tags as i think of them but thats all ive got for now, im a dirty sinner, just a heads up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-25 12:04:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4959949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinosar/pseuds/dinosar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the nishinoya family is having a reunion, and noya lies to his mom about being in a relationship to get her off his back. when ryuu gets a call from noya asking him to go to the reunion with him as his fake boyfriend, he's torn―he's just starting to get over how in love he is with his best friend, and he's not sure that pretending to be his boyfriend is going to help with that. he agrees nonetheless, because he's nothing if not a good friend, which leads to a week of denial, confusion and awkwardness. it doesn't help that noya is sending <em>really</em> mixed signals.</p><p>but even when everything else seems unsure, one thing remains constant―they're best friends, and that's not going to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i was looking @ writing prompts a couple weeks ago and i stumbled across a list of fake dating scenarios and bc im always a slut for fake dating this fic was born??? idfk ok i just really love fake dating and tananoya is my fav so this happened
> 
> idk how long its gonna be but?? i have over 16000 words written already so like. buckle up yall this is gonna be a wild ride
> 
> enjoy the first chapter!

The first words Ryuu hears when he answers his phone are,  _“Dude, I need a favor.”_

 

Ryuu recognizes the voice instantly ― it's his best friend's voice, a voice he'd know anywhere after having heard it for years. So while the call itself isn't an abnormal occurrence, the time of the call, Ryuu notes as he glances at the glowing green 7:57 am displayed on his bedside clock, is definitely out of the ordinary.

 

Ryuu groans. “Give a guy a few seconds to wake up before askin' him for somethin',” he mumbles, a giant yawn escaping him and making his bleary eyes water. He wipes at them, blinking hard to try and gain his bearings.

 

“ _Shit, sorry man, I thought you'd be up for work already,”_  Noya says apologetically.  _“I wouldn't have called if I knew you were still sleeping.”_

 

Ryuu hums, scratching his head and pushing himself up to sit against the headboard. “Don't work today, Boss didn't need me to come in,” he replies, another yawn slipping out. He either needs some strong coffee or maybe another three hours of sleep right about now. “Anyway, what did ya need?”

 

“ _Right!”_  Noya exclaims, and the sound pierces through Ryuu's sleep-addled mind.  _“It's like, a_ really _big favor...”_

 

“How big are we talkin' here?” Ryuu questions, brow furrowing.

 

“ _I'm talkin' a level one bro favor, Ryuu,”_  Noya says seriously. Ryuu can almost picture him now, sitting up straight with dark, intense eyes.

 

Ryuu lets his eyes close, taking a deep breath. “Lay it on me.”

 

He hears Noya click his tongue a couple times, the way he does when he's unsure of how to say something, and suddenly Ryuu feels a little nervous. He tells himself it can't be anything  _awful_ , though, and so he simply waits for Noya to start talking with his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

 

“ _Okay, well...Ma called me last night, right? Said the whole family's getting together for this huge reunion thing and told me I_ have _to go. I haven't talked to Ma in a little while, though, and...well, long story short, she asked me if I was dating anyone yet and started with the whole 'I just want my only son to be happy and settle down at some point!' spiel and so I...kinda told her I was seeing someone? Which, you and I both know I'm not, so...”_ He takes a deep breath, and Ryuu stops breathing altogether when he hears his next words.  _“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”_

 

“...m'sorry,  _what_?” Surely he heard that wrong. He's half asleep, after all―his brain isn't working right yet...right?

 

“ _I know I shouldn't have lied to her but god Ryuu she always nags me about this shit and she said even my Grams was asking and I just really need to shut them up for a while and you're the only person I could think to ask to help me out please Ryuu I promise I'll do anything for you if you help me out with this―”_

 

“Noya, whoa, slow down, still half asleep here,” he groans, rubbing at his face. So he hadn't heard wrong after all.

 

Ryuu licks his lips, sitting up a little straighter. He rubs the shaved part of his head, his mind racing. He wants to say yes, because Noya is his best friend and best friends help each other out, but...

 

But this isn't an easy request to fulfill. Mostly because he spent years being hopelessly in love with his best friend and he's only recently starting to accept that it's pointless to feel that way and it would be better to move on and content himself with just being Noya's best friend. He's really not sure if  _pretending to date him_  is going to help with that endeavor.

 

“ _I know it's a lot to ask,”_  Noya says quietly after a few seconds of silence.  _“But you're my only hope, man.”_

 

Ryuu lets out a long groan, sinking back down into his pillows. He can't say no when he puts it like that...and maybe it won't be that bad, anyway. “Fine,” he answers, letting out a sigh. “But you owe me bigtime, bro.”

 

Noya whoops, and Ryuu can feel a headache coming on. He definitely needs some coffee.  _“Ryuu, you're a fucking lifesaver,”_  he tells him, and Ryuu can hear his smile in his voice.  _“You'll be able to get the time off from work, right?”_

 

Right. He hadn't thought of that. “I'm sure Boss won't mind. When is it, and how long are we gonna be there?” he asks, raking a hand through his hair.

 

“ _It'll take a day to drive there and Ma wants us there by Friday, so we'll have to leave in three days? The reunion itself is on Sunday, but Ma wants us to stay for at least a couple more days after that, so...I guess you should try to get maybe ten days off? Is that too much?”_

 

Ryuu sighs tiredly. “Boss is cool, he'll probably allow it. I'll ask for two weeks just in case,” he replies.

 

“ _Cool. I really appreciate this, man.”_  Sincerity is clear in his voice, and for a moment, Ryuu feels like this might be a little wrong―after all, Noya doesn't know about the fact that he spent years secretly pining over him, and he never will if Ryuu can help it. If he knew...he'd probably be weirded out or something.

 

_I have to make sure he doesn't find out,_  Ryuu chants silently. “It's no problem,” he lies. “I'll call work and ask for the time off, then.”

 

“ _Alright man, let me know how that goes!”_

 

“I will,” he answers, closing his eyes.

 

They end the call, and Ryuu tosses his phone to the other side of his bed. He presses his palms into his eyes before rolling over and groaning loudly into his pillow, feeling as if he'd just gotten himself into a  _really_  awful situation.

 

* * *

 

After calling his boss to ask for time off (which he gets rather easily) and texting Noya to let him know, he decides he might as well get up and make himself a cup of coffee. When he gets to the kitchen, he finds his sister already there, sitting at the breakfast nook in nothing but an oversized shirt that most likely belongs to her boyfriend. Her short blonde hair is messy and sticking up everywhere; he's willing to bet she'd just rolled out of bed. Her small hands nurse a cup of black coffee, and she looks a little worse for wear.

 

“Late night?” he questions, making his way over to their coffee maker. It's one of those swanky one cup coffee makers with too many buttons―their parents had gotten it for them as a housewarming gift, and even after having it for two years, he still doesn't fully understand how to use it. He gets his favorite mug from the cupboard and presses a few buttons on the machine while hoping for the best, breathing a sigh of relief as he watches dark coffee slowly fill it.

 

“We were out so late,” she groans, laying her head on the table. “I was gonna sleep in, but you know how lightly I sleep and Aki-chan accidentally woke me up when he was leaving for work,” she adds morosely, lifting her head only to sip her coffee before letting it fall again.

 

Once his mug was full, he moved to sit across from her. “Y'know, I don't understand why you don't just move in with him, nee-san. You've been dating him for years now,” he remarks, blowing on his coffee before hesitantly taking a sip.

 

She lifts her head back up, smiling tiredly, and reaches out to pinch his cheek. “And leave my baby brother all alone in this big apartment? No way.”

 

He bats her hand away, rolling his eyes. “You know I'd be fine on my own.  _Actually_ , I'd be better off without worrying about coming home and finding you and Akiteru-san naked on the couch again.” He shudders at the memory, taking another drink of his coffee.

 

“It happened one time!” she whines, resting her cheek on her palm. “Stop being such a baby about it, Ryuu-chan!”

 

“There are some things you just can't ever unsee and  _that's_  one of them,” he mutters.

 

She rolls her eyes, lifting her mug to her lips and taking a drink. “What are you doing up this early, anyway? I thought you didn't work today.”

 

“I don't,” he sighs, rubbing his face. “Noya called and woke me up.”

 

“Oh?” She raises an eyebrow. “What for?”

 

Taking a deep breath, he decides it's probably better to get it off his chest. As annoying as Saeko is sometimes, she's always been there for him when it comes to his gigantic crush on his best friend. “He asked me to go to a family reunion with him...as his boyfriend.”

 

Her eyes widen, all previous signs of exhaustion gone. “Wait, he asked you out?!” she nearly screeches.

 

He bites his lip, dipping his head and shaking it. “Not like that. We're only going to pretend so his mom will get off his back about not being in a relationship with anyone.”

 

Her face falls, eyes shining sympathetically. “And you're okay with that?” she asks softly.

 

He shrugs. “I mean, how bad can it be? It's only for a week, and then...things can just go back to normal. I can hold out for that long...I think. I just―I couldn't say no, he sounded really desperate when he asked.”

 

“Are you sure you can't just...tell him how you feel, Ryuu? I mean, you've been in love with him for years, don't you think it's time?” Her voice is hesitant―like she knows what the answer will be but she's asking anyway.

 

He shakes his head, swallowing the mouthful of coffee he'd taken. “I don't want things to change between us, nee-san. If...if I said something and lost him, I don't know what I'd do. No, it's better if he never knows. I've started to realize that lately.” He takes another drink, a contemplative look on his face. “Who knows, maybe this will even help me get over him. Y'know, like...doing this might get it all out of my system.”

 

She reaches out and lays her hand over his own, giving it a squeeze. “Maybe you're right. I hope you are,” she tells him, a troubled smile on her face. “I don't like watching my brother mope around like a lovesick puppy, y'know? I want you to be happy.”

 

“Ew, it's weird when you're nice to me,” he jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

 

Her smile instantly becomes more genuine, and she reaches across the table to playfully shove him. “You little brat,” she says with a grin, “I'm always nice to you!”

 

He raises an eyebrow, hiding his own grin behind his coffee mug. “I'm pretty sure we have different opinions on what qualifies as nice, then.”

 

He's only teasing―his sister is actually...pretty great.

 

He'd never say that to her face, though.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOYA!!!
> 
> that's the only reason im uploading chapter 2 so soon tbh :') he's worth it tho
> 
> enjoy!

Wednesday night, Ryuu gets a text from Noya asking if Saeko will do his hair for him. Ryuu asks her, getting a nod in response, and he quickly texts back to let him know.

 

_cool, ill be there in 5 mins,_ is the reply he gets a moment later.

 

“Am I doing your hair too?” Saeko calls from her room, most likely already getting her supplies.

 

He glances at himself in the mirror on his door, his nose wrinkling when he sees how messy his hair is. His undercut definitely needs some maintenance, and it wouldn't hurt to trim the top a little either. His roots are also showing a little too much, maybe he should get her to dye his hair again, the color is faded anyway...

 

“I'll take that as a yes,” she says, suddenly appearing in his doorway with a grin on her face. “I'll start setting up in the bathroom.”

 

“Thanks, nee-san,” he replies, scratching his neck and smiling.

 

He runs to the door a moment later when he hears the knock, opening it to find the grinning face of his best friend. “Ryuu!” Noya exclaims, stepping inside and kicking his shoes off.

 

Already caught up in his best friend's infectious excitement, he grins back. “Noya!”

 

“Is nee-san in the bathroom already?” he asks, looking around.

 

Ryuu nods, and that's all it takes for Noya to bound off toward the bathroom. There's a loud cry of “Nee-san!” followed by an equally loud “Yuu-chan!”, and Ryuu feels his grin grow wider as he heads toward the bathroom himself.

 

When he enters the bathroom, he finds Saeko examining Noya's hair, tapping her lip with a manicured nail. “Are you  _sure_ you won't let me put a little color in?” she practically begs.

 

Noya laughs and shakes his head. “Blond is my  _thing_ , nee-san! Leave the crazy colors to Ryuu,” he replies, turning toward Ryuu and winking.

 

Saeko pouts. “One day I'll get you to let me do it, Yuu-chan!” she says firmly, crossing her arms. She turns toward her brother, jerking her chin toward the chair she'd taken from the kitchen. “Sit, I'm bleaching your roots first,” she tells him, uncrossing her arms to grab the bleach she'd mixed.

 

He obeys, sitting down and letting her drape a towel around him. A sigh of content leaves him when her fingers start to rake through his hair to separate it, and he lets his eyes fall shut.

 

“What time do we have to leave tomorrow?” he asks Noya, feeling Saeko start to apply the bleach to his roots. “I need to know if I should pack tonight or tomorrow.”

 

“If we leave at three then we'll get there around eleven, and then we can just go straight to bed,” Noya answers. “Does that sound good?”

 

Ryuu hums affirmatively. “I haven't seen your mom in ages,” he murmurs.

 

“She'll be shocked to see you,” Noya tells him, chuckling. “I didn't tell her that you're the one I'm bringing, after all.”

 

Ryuu's eyes fly open at that. “You didn't tell her it was me?!” he exclaims.

 

“Don't move,” Saeko scolds him, tugging on his hair.

 

Noya grins. “I figured it would be funnier if it was a surprise! Oh man, I can already imagine what her face is gonna be like,” he chortles. “At least we don't have to worry about her not liking you!”

 

Ryuu supposes he has a point there ― Noya's mom adores him. He's sure that she'll be excited, and that makes him feel worse. She'll have no idea that it's fake.

 

Saeko finishes with his roots quickly, and Ryuu switches places with Noya. He watches as Saeko pins a section of his shaggy hair back, gathering the chunk of blond and beginning to apply bleach to the roots. The two of them talk about random things, but Ryuu himself is quiet ― he can't stop thinking about how wrong the whole situation is going to be.

 

_It shouldn't be happening like this,_ he thinks to himself, biting his lip.  _It should be real._

 

He wants it to be real so badly, but he already told himself he's never going to let Noya know how he really feels about him ― their friendship is way too important to risk losing over something like that. It's better to just forget about his feelings, he knows that. It doesn't stop him from wishing he was brave enough to take that risk, though.

 

When Noya's roots lighten to match the rest of the blond, Ryuu watches as Saeko quickly covers the rest in bleach to make it bright again. Once it's all covered, she wraps it to keep it from touching the rest of his hair and turns back to Ryuu. “Alright, let's rinse that bleach out so we can get the blue in,” she says, clapping her hands once. Ryuu lets himself be pulled toward the showerhead, pulling his shirt off to keep it from getting wet as she detaches it from the wall and turns the water on.

 

She rinses it quickly but thoroughly before ordering Ryuu to quickly dry his hair. He does what he's asked, plugging the hairdryer in and turning it on full-blast. It dries his hair in a little over a minute, and then Saeko takes it from him to heat the bleach in Noya's hair and make it lighten faster.

 

When it's time for Noya's hair to be rinsed, he takes off his shirt as well. Ryuu's seen him shirtless countless times in the six years they've known each other, but the sight of his lean muscles still makes Ryuu's mouth a little dry. He does his best not to stare, turning instead toward the mirror to fuss with his messy, curly hair.

 

He remembers when he'd decided to stop shaving his whole head back in his third year of high school. Everyone had been shocked to see the loose, wavy curls grow in, but he'd only shrugged and asked what the big deal was. He didn't really think it was anything to go crazy over. In fact, the reason he'd started shaving his head in the first place was because it annoyed him more than anything. He supposes he appreciates his hair more now that he knows what to do with it, though.

 

“Alright, Yuu-chan, I'll trim your hair while it's still wet and then dry it for you,” Saeko tells him with a grin, motioning for him to sit back down. “Ryuu can wait his turn,” she adds, turning toward her brother and sticking her tongue out at him. He returns the gesture, giving her the finger as well for good measure. She snorts before wrapping a towel around Noya's small frame and grabbing her electric clippers to trim the shorter hair on the back of his head.

 

Noya started to laugh. “Nee-san, that tickles,” he tells her.

 

She snorts. “You say the same thing every time, Yuu-chan,” she points out, turning the clippers off. “Alright, how much do you want off the rest?” she asks as she unclips his hair, running her fingers through it.

 

“Not a whole lot,” he replies. “I'll trust your judgement, though.”

 

Nodding, she grabs her fancy scissors and immediately starts snipping away at his shaggy hair until it looks neat again. Noya had stopped gelling his hair up long ago, having accepted his short stature, and instead it falls across his forehead. The only thing he hasn't changed since high school is the single blond chunk in the front, although it's a little more spread-out now. Paired with the few ear piercings he has and the single black ring in his nose, he's almost unrecognizable from his high school self.

 

Ryuu remembers the first time he'd seen Noya with his hair the way he keeps it now ― he swears he nearly died. It just looks so... _cute_ . He'd been attractive with it gelled, but Ryuu thinks he looks ten times better with it down.

 

Saeko dries Noya's hair and quickly styles it into place, sweeping it off to the left. “All done, kiddo,” she beams, giving him a thumbs up.

 

Noya stands up, a wide grin on his face. “Thanks, nee-san! It looks perfect as always, but that's no surprise since it was done by the best hairdresser in the prefacture!”

 

She rolls her eyes, flicking his ear. “No need to butter me up, you already get it done for free.”

 

He yelps, reaching up to rub his ear. “I'm offended that you think my words are anything less than sincere!” he exclaims dramatically, a mock-offended expression on his face.

 

She laughs, motioning toward the door. “Make yourself useful and go order us a pizza.”

 

He salutes her. “Yes ma'am!”

 

He leaves, and Saeko pats the back of the chair. “Have a seat, little bro.”

 

He sits down, watching as she mixes the blue dye with conditioner to lighten it. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asks, voice low.

 

He sighs, raking a hand through his messy hair. “A little. Mostly I just feel like there's something wrong about it, nee-san. I mean...we're lying to his entire family. It just doesn't feel right,” he replies.

 

She offers a sympathetic smile. “Try not to think about that too much, Ryuu. Just focus on making sure Yuu's family buys it, eh?” She pulls a pair of black latex gloves on, finished with mixing the dye, and begins to apply it to his hair. “I'm sure it'll all be okay, and you can always call or text me if anything happens.”

 

Noya pops his head back into the bathroom. “Pizza will be here in twenty minutes,” he informs them. “Ryuu, where's your wallet?”

 

“On my desk,” he answers.

 

“I'll wait for the pizza guy out there,” he says before leaving again.

 

“It's gonna be hard to pretend to pretend to love him for a whole week, nee-san,” he groans. “How am I gonna survive this?”

 

“You'll be fine,” she assures him. “It'll be over before you know it, and then everything will go back to normal. You'll see.”

 

He really hopes she's right about that.

 

* * *

 

Before they all know it, it's already one in the morning. After Saeko finished Ryuu's hair, the three of them ate their pizza and proceeded to watch movies for the rest of the night, which led to Saeko falling asleep on the couch with Noya not too far behind her if his droopy eyes are anything to go by.

 

Having long-since learned how to move his sister without waking her up, Ryuu lifts her small frame into his arms and slowly makes his way to her room, gently placing her on her bed and pulling the covers over her. She stirs slightly before rolling over and starting to snore, and Ryuu feels a fond smile pull at his lips as he leaves her room, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible.

 

When he returns to the tv room, Noya is fighting to keep his eyes open, and Ryuu snorts. “Noya, you probably shouldn't drive home if you're that tired,” he points out. “You can crash here tonight.”

 

Noya lets out a huge yawn, stretching before heaving himself off the couch. “Alright,” he mumbles sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Do I need to carry you too?” Ryuu teases.

 

He expects a laugh, but instead Noya just nods. Blinking, Ryuu moves closer, trying to tell if he's serious. When Noya moves behind him, Ryuu instantly crouches to allow him to climb onto his back. The shorter man clings to him like a koala, and Ryuu reminds himself to breathe when his head rests tiredly on his shoulder.

 

“Thanks, Ryuu,” he slurs, voice thick with sleep.

 

Ryuu carries him into his bedroom, letting him down on the bed and grabbing his extra pillows for him. Noya immediately grabs the pillows and settles at the foot of the bed, tugging the blankets up over himself and promptly beginning to snore. Amazed at how quickly he managed to fall asleep, Ryuu kicks his jeans off and turns off the light before climbing into bed, making sure not to lay on Noya's legs or anything.

 

_Tomorrow is going to be a very long day,_ he reminds himself as he lets his eyes fall shut.

 

Tomorrow, things are going to start to change, and he's not sure if he's ready for that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i know this chapter was kinda boring but i promise the fun stuff starts next chapter! i'll most likely upload chapter 3 on tuesday or wednesday maybe? somewhere around there idk
> 
> anyway, hmu on [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com) if u wanna cry abt tananoya w/ me, and of course feedback on the fic is appreciated both here and there!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished writing chapter 7, which means yall get a new chapter!! i think that's how im gonna do it tbh, like i'll wait until i finish the chapter im working on before uploading a new one here?? bc that way i wont run out \o/
> 
> anyway, enjoy this delightfully awkward chapter!

When Ryuu wakes up, there's a pleasant warmth against his back. He doesn't know what it is, but it's soft and it makes him want to sleep a little while longer. He almost _does_ go back to sleep, but...

 

...then it _moves_.

 

Instantly, his eyes fly open, bugging out a little when he looks behind him.

 

Noya is sleeping behind him, curled up against him like a tiny heater. Ryuu distinctly remembers him falling asleep at the other end of the bed, though―they always sleep on opposite ends of the bed whenever they end up spending the night together. So why is Noya cuddling with him?

 

A glance at his clock tells him that it's nearly 1 pm. They need to leave in about two hours, which gives him an excuse to nudge his still-sleeping best friend with his elbow.

 

“Noya,” he whispers as he nudges him. “Wake up.”

 

Ryuu hears Noya suck in a sharp breath as consciousness returns to him, neck craned enough to see brown eyes slowly open. He blinks a few times to orient himself before meeting Ryuu's gaze and grinning. “G'morning, Ryuu,” he says through a yawn, lifting a hand to cover his mouth.

 

That's it? Just “good morning”? No explanation? _Nothing_?

 

“...morning?” he replies uncertainly, slightly perturbed.

 

Noya snorts. “I get it, you're wondering why I'm sleeping up here with you,” he guesses, raising an eyebrow. His voice is still husky with leftover sleep, and Ryuu tries to ignore how... _sexy_ he sounds.

 

_Not now, dick,_ he thinks desperately to himself with a quick glance downwards, trying to focus on anything other than the sound of his best friend's sleepy voice.

 

“I figured we should start getting used to it since we'll be doing it for the next week or so,” he goes on to explain, and Ryuu jumps when Noya rubs his head between his bare shoulderblades. “See, that can't happen, man―we gotta be believable, and you jumping like that when I'm affectionate with you would probably look _really_ suspicious, right?”

 

Ryuu swallows hard, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Sorry, it's just―I'm not used to it. How are we gonna fix this?”

 

Noya yawns again, sitting up and stretching. “I figured this was a good place to start,” he answers, shrugging. “On the drive up, we can just...I dunno, practice being affectionate? It shouldn't be that hard,” he adds, and the way he says it with such certainty makes Ryuu feel the same way he did when they were back on the volleyball court with Noya assuring everyone he'd keep the ball off the ground. He just sounds so unshakeable, so reassuring, and it somehow manages to put him at ease.

 

“...yeah, I guess that would probably work,” Ryuu says slowly a moment later, pushing himself up into a sitting position and feeling his back crack as he does so. “I mean, it's not like we're strangers, it can't be _that_ weird...right?”

 

“Exactly!” Noya grins widely, knocking their shoulders together. “We're gonna be fuckin' awesome, Ryuu―no one's gonna suspect a thing, I know it.”

 

In that moment, Ryuu thinks that maybe he might be right―maybe it won't be so bad after all.

 

* * *

 

“Hurry up and pack, I'm gonna go home to shower and pack so I'll be back to pick you up in like an hour,” Noya tells him as they reach the doorway. He grabs his car keys from the hook on the wall and tugs his shoes on, and Ryuu stifles a yawn into his hand and hums affirmatively. When Noya straightens back up, Ryuu catches a fleeting look of uncertainty in his eyes before he reaches up and pulls Ryuu's face down to his level. Ryuu can do nothing but stand in shocked silence as he feels Noya's lips press against his own, his eyes wide whereas Noya's are shut tight. “Figured I'd get that out of the way,” the shorter man says with an almost nervous chuckle after he lets go and backs away, his gaze flickering between Ryuu's eyes and the floor.

 

Ryuu opens his mouth to try and respond, but his jaw just ends up flapping uselessly as words escape him.  _He just kissed me,_ he thinks to himself rather incredulously. His lips feel like they're tingling.

 

“...anyway, I'm going now,” Noya says after an awkward silence, scratching his ear. “I'll see you in an hour, Ryuu.”

 

Ryuu blinks, finally snapping out of his stupor. “Yeah...alright, see you then,” he answers, clearing his throat.

 

Noya heads out the door, closing it behind him, and Ryuu immediately collapses against the nearest wall. He can't believe that actually just happened―he really hadn't been expecting it at all, and it had happened so fast...

 

“You doin' okay there, little bro?”

 

Ryuu jumps at the sound of his sister's voice, his head whipping toward the source. He finds her leaning against her door frame, arms crossed with a grin on her lips.

 

He feels his face heat up. “...nee-san, please tell me you didn't just see that,” he mumbles.

 

She snorts. “See what? Yuu kissing you? Yeah, I saw that.”

 

He groans, covering his face. “Nee-san, I'm going to  _die_ ,” he whines. “How am I supposed to act normal and get over him when he does shit like that?”

 

He hears the soft thuds of her feet as she moves toward him, and then a small hand settles on his shoulder. “You're gonna be okay, Ryuu. I'm sure he won't have to kiss you that much anyway,” she assures him, grey eyes soft. “He probably just wanted to get it out of the way in case the situation does come up at some point, which wasn't a bad idea―at least now you know what to expect so you won't freeze up in front of his family like you did just now.”

 

He supposes she has a point, but... “I'm just...really nervous about this whole thing,” he admits. “I don't wanna blow it for him, y'know? I need to be able to fool both him  _and_ his family at the same time and I don't know how to do that because I have to be convincing enough to fool his family but not so convincing that he finds out how I really feel and the thought of trying to find a balance between the two makes my head hurt,” he blurts out, squeezing his eyes shut. He can feel a headache building right between his eyes, and he rubs at the spot tiredly. He wishes he could just go back to sleep and forget he ever agreed to this whole thing.

 

“Ryuu, hey. Look at me for a second.” He opens his eyes, meeting his sister's gaze. “The more you worry about it, the more tense you'll be,” she says firmly. “You need to just go with the flow, okay? The only time you have to act like you're his boyfriend is when his family is around. Just drop the act when you're alone with him, I'm sure he won't suspect anything that way.”

 

Taking a deep breath, he simply nods. That makes sense. “Thanks, nee-san,” he mumbles, rubbing at his face. It feels a little prickly―he should probably shave.

 

Grinning, she reaches up to ruffle his hair. “What would you ever do without me, Ryuu-chan?”

 

Reluctantly, he feels himself grin in response. “Don't get so full of yourself, I'd manage just fine on my own ya know!”

 

She scoffs, raising an eyebrow. “As if! Admit it―you'd be totally lost without your awesomely cool big sister,” she says, pinching his cheek.

 

Snorting, he lifts his hand and flicks her forehead. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, nee-san,” he retorts. slipping out of her reach before she has a chance to retaliate. He can't waste any more time―he needs to pack and get ready before Noya gets back.

 

He throws a week and a half worth of clean clothes and a few pairs of shoes into a large suitcase, doing his best to pack them in a way that will keep the clothes from getting  _too_ wrinkled. It takes him about half an hour, and then he's heading to the bathroom to shave and take a quick shower. That takes around twenty minutes, and then he's grabbing his bag of toiletries and making his way back to his room with a towel wrapped firmly around his waist. He throws the small bag into his suitcase, then proceeds to drop the towel and get dressed―he figures he should dress for comfort more than looks since he's going to be in a car all day, so he pulls on some baggy sweats and a ratty old t-shirt with a zip-up hoodie. Not bothering to style his hair, he slips a beanie on instead. Tucking his wallet and headphones into his pocket, he closes the suitcase and heads out to wait for Noya.

 

He hears voices in the kitchen when he leaves his room. A peek inside shows his sister sitting on the countertop and watching her boyfriend cook, both of them laughing over something before Akiteru leans over and pecks her on the lips, leaving her with a smile on her face when he turns his attention back to the stove. Ryuu clears his throat to catch their attention. “I'm gonna go wait for Noya now,” he informs them, jerking a thumb toward the front door.

 

Saeko hops down off the counter and moves toward him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “Good luck, little bro. Call or text me if you need anything, okay?”

 

He hugs her back, taking a deep breath as he nods. “I will. Thanks, nee-san.” He turns his gaze to Akiteru. “Keep her company while I'm gone?” he asks, smiling.

 

The blond man grins. “Don't worry, I'll be staying here the whole time you're away,” he assures him. “Try and have a good time, yeah?”

 

Ryuu smiles tightly. “I'll try. See you guys next week,” he murmurs, giving Saeko one last squeeze before letting go and heading toward the door. He slips his beat up old sneakers on and grabs his keys, tucking them into his pocket with his phone before heading out the door.

 

It seems he timed everything well, because just as he exits his apartment building, he sees Noya's little orange car pull up to the curb. He swallows hard as he heads toward it, already steeling himself for what he's going to do―he's been thinking about it since Noya left, and he knows it's something that has to be done. As soon as he gets his bag into the trunk, he climbs into the passenger side and immediately pulls Noya toward him, slamming their lips together. His aim ends up suffering in his haste to get it over with before he can chicken out, meaning he's mostly kissing the corner of Noya's mouth―which is honestly kinda embarrassing, but there's nothing to be done about it without making it even  _more_ awkward.

 

“Let's get this show on the road, huh?” he says, a little breathlessly once he lets go and settles into his seat, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible as he buckles his seatbelt. His hands are kinda shaking, though, which pretty much ruins that attempt.

 

“I...yeah,” Noya replies, blinking and adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “You sure you have everything you need?” He doesn't look at Ryuu as he asks―his gaze is fixed firmly ahead of him.

 

Ryuu nods, trying to ignore the slight awkwardness hanging in the air. “I'm good to go.”

 

Biting his lip, Noya glances over to look at him. Their eyes lock, and before they know it, they're both laughing uncontrollably at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

 

“God, Ryuu, that was such an awful kiss,” Noya gasps out, laying his head on the steering wheel and clutching his stomach.

 

Ryuu rolls his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and stop laughing. “Whatever, okay! I was nervous! But I figured I should just get it out of the way since you kissed me earlier! I mean...you can't be the only one showing affection, that would seem weird wouldn't it?”

 

Noya leans back against his seat, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “Okay, yeah, that's a good point,” he admits, running a hand through his hair. “I don't know about you, but I feel a hell of a lot less awkward now that we've laughed about it,” he says a few seconds later, turning to look at Ryuu. He's grinning widely, eyes sparkling, and Ryuu reminds himself to breathe normally.

 

He's right, though―Ryuu definitely doesn't feel as nervous as he did before. “Me too,” he answers, relaxing into his seat. Everything feels...strangely doable, now. He almost feels optimistic about the rest of the week, now that the awkwardness is out of the way. It's still going to be hard, but...he's confident that he'll be able to pull everything off.

 

As Noya pulls away from the curb and heads toward the highway, everything feels blissfully normal between them. It gives Ryuu confidence―they're going to pull this off without anything changing between them, he knows it now.

 

He has to remind himself that that's what he wants.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> save them tbh
> 
> threw a lil akisae in there bc im weak as hell l m a o
> 
> anyway, next up: they arrive at noya's mom's!! i'll try and finish the chapter im working on now asap so i can get chapter 4 up soon B)
> 
> i hope yall enjoyed this chapter, and i know i havent replied to every comment but pls know that i see them and they make me smile a lot so thank you all for taking the time to leave them!! as always, feedback is always welcome (and very much appreciated) either here or on my [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com)!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE I'VE RECEIVED FANART OF ONE OF MY FICS AND IM???? REALLY REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT BC ITS ALWAYS FELT LIKE A DISTANT DREAM THAT WOULD NEVER EVER HAPPEN TO ME SO THE FACT THAT IT DID LITERALLY HAS ME IN TEARS RN WHICH IS WHY I'M UPLOADING A NEW CHAPTER NOW BC IM TOO EXCITED NOT TO :')
> 
> [GO CHECK OUT THE AWESOME FANART!!](http://peregr1ne.tumblr.com/post/131266587518/fanart-for-jojosspookyadventures-tananoya-fic)

When they're about halfway to Kyoto, Ryuu offers to drive the rest of the way when he sees how much Noya is yawning. “Take a nap or something,” he suggests. “I can follow to road signs to get us there, don't worry.”

 

Noya looks a little unsure. “You don't know how to get to my mom's house, though...”

 

Ryuu rolls his eyes, shaking his head in amusement. “As soon as we get to Kyoto, I'll wake you up and you can tell me which way to go. C'mon, Noya, it'll be fine, just pull over.”

 

He seems to think about it for a moment before finally acquiescing, pulling over onto the side of the road. He leaves the car running as they get out and switch places, and Ryuu pulls back onto the highway as soon as they've both buckled their seatbelts.

 

“I forgot to say it before, but you should probably call me Yuu,” Noya says after a moment. “I mean, if we were actually dating it would be weird if you didn't call me that, wouldn't it? I already call you Ryuu so there's no problem there,” he adds with a shrug.

 

Ryuu feels his mouth go dry. He knows Noya is right, but...even though they're best friends, he's always felt it would be too intimate to call him Yuu. It took him years to even just drop the -san. He's never had a problem with Noya calling him Ryuu, in fact he loves it, but he'd just never been able to bring himself to use Noya's first name.

 

And now he was going to have to do it whether he liked it or not.

 

“I...guess I can do that,” he answers, flicking his eyes toward his best friend. “...Yuu,” he tacks on, testing the name on his tongue. It feels weird to say, but he's going to have to get used to it.

 

Noya doesn't say anything, though, and that worries Ryuu. He chances another glance over, and he finds that Noya's face has gone completely red. “You okay...Yuu?” he questions, resisting the urge to wince as he says the name once more. He really needs to familiarize himself with it if he wants it to sound natural in front of others...

 

His face goes even redder. “I...wow, that's just...really weird, hearing you call me that,” he says quietly, biting his lip. “Not in a bad way or anything, it's just... _weird_.”

 

“It feels weird to call you that,” he admits, turning his eyes back to the road, “but we're just gonna have to deal with it.”

 

Noya falls silent again, and Ryuu doesn't think too much of it this time―he focuses on the road ahead of him, quietly humming along to the music on the radio. When the silence stretches for more than ten minutes, Ryuu thinks that maybe he fell asleep.

 

But then he speaks up. “I know I've said it already, but...thanks for doing this for me, Ryuu,” he begins, and Ryuu glances over to find that he's not even looking at him―he's looking straight ahead, the light of the dying sun catching his eyes and bathing him in orange light. “I can't think of too many people who would do this for someone, so...just, thanks, man. I'd worry about this making things weird if it was anyone else, but I know this won't affect our friendship at all. It makes it easier to relax, y'know? It'll probably still be a little hard, but...not as hard as it could be, I guess. I'm just...really grateful.”

 

“Noya...” He doesn't know what else to say, really―he clears his throat to dispel the lump rising in it, blinking embarrassing moisture from his eyes.

 

He peeks over just in time to catch Noya's wry smile. “Don't you mean Yuu?” he teases, leaning over and nudging his shoulder.

 

A choked sounding laugh escapes Ryuu. “Asshole, you can't expect me to remember that when you're makin' me all emotional and shit,” he protests, shooting him a sideways grin. “Anyway, _Yuu_ ,” he puts emphasis on the name which earns him an eyeroll. “You don't have to thank me, okay? You'd probably do the same for me, so...there's nothing to thank me for. This is just the kinda shit that good friends do.”

 

Noya turns his body toward Ryuu, a decisive look in his eyes. The sun makes them look amber, and as always, the sight takes Ryuu's breath away. “Let's make a pact right now,” he says, holding a hand out and extending his pinky. “If either of us are ever in another situation where we need a fake relationship and the other person isn't already in a relationship, then we'll do it for each other. Sound good?”

 

He knows he should say no. He knows it's going to hurt if he has to keep pretending when it's something he wants to be _real_ , but...well, Ryuu's never really made the best decisions anyway.

 

He takes a hand off the wheel and locks their pinkies together. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

* * *

 

Ryuu feels like he's been driving for ages when he finally reaches the outskirts of the city. He nearly weeps with relief; he's hungry, tired, and he just really can't wait to get out of the car.

 

When he hits the first red light, he turns toward Noya. He's slumped against the window, head pillowed on his arm as he sleeps, and Ryuu feels bad that he has to wake him up but he doesn't know where to go from here. So, reluctantly, he reaches out and shakes his arm. “Dude, we're in Kyoto. Wake up, you gotta tell me where to go,” he says quietly so he doesn't startle him too much.

 

Noya's eyes slowly blink open, a colossal yawn breaking free from his mouth. “Ugh, what time is it?” he asks, stretching his arms and legs as best as he can.

 

“A little after midnight, I accidentally got us a little lost while you were asleep,” he admits, face heating up in embarrassment. He'd taken the wrong turn at one point, but he managed to find his way back onto the right road without having to wake Noya up to ask for help.

 

“Mm, mom's probably asleep by now. Let's stop and get some food,” he suggests, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his eyes.

 

Since it's so late, only fast food joints are still open. They pick a random one and order a couple burgers, and then Noya gives him directions on how to get to his mom's place from there. They manage to get there without any problems, and Ryuu parks next to a giant tree where Noya tells him to.

 

“This place is huge,” Ryuu remarks as they retrieve their bags from the trunk of the car.

 

“It's really my grandparents' place―Ma's family is huge so they needed a lot of space, and Grams and Gramps just never really sold the place after Ma and her siblings all moved out I guess? It's a little too big for just two people, though.” He shrugs. “Ma said we can have one end of the house all to ourselves, so I guess that's a bonus. Her and Grams' bedrooms are in the front of the house and they never really go into the other end, so at least we won't have to worry about pretending when we're alone back there.”

 

“Works for me,” Ryuu mumbles tiredly, shutting the trunk as quietly as he can. They walk up the walkway, suitcases and bags of food in hand, and Noya digs a key out from under a large flower pot and unlocks the door.

 

When they step inside, there's a single light on for them. They slip their shoes off and place them on the mat, and Noya grabs them each a pair of slippers to slide on before leading Ryuu inside and flicking the light off behind them. They're as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake anyone up, and they manage to make it to the other end of the house in the dark without knocking anything over.

 

Noya stops in front of a large sliding door and pulls it open, motioning for Ryuu to step inside. He does, blinking hard when Noya suddenly flicks a light on, and looks around.

 

“It's a nice room,” he comments, allowing his suitcase to drop from his hand with a muted thud. He hears Noya slide the door shut behind him before the smaller man is jumping onto the giant bed in the corner, a sigh of content leaving him.

 

“I'm so glad Grams got new beds,” he says, a little dreamily. “I'm going to marry this bed.”

 

Ryuu snorts. “Wow, cheating on me already?” he teases, moving toward the bed.

 

That draws a shockingly loud snort from Noya, followed by choked laughter. “Oh my _god_ , Ryuu,” he snickers, covering his face.

 

“I'm so heartbroken,” he says dramatically, clutching his chest with the hand that isn't holding their bag of food. “I've been dumped for a _bed_.”

 

Noya slides off the bed and clings to Ryuu. “Please, Ryuu, I didn't mean it! You're the only one for me!” he cries, arm thrown over his face dramatically.

 

Ryuu ignores the pang that goes through his heart when he hears those words, forcing himself to grin instead as he untangles himself from Noya's grip and allows himself to fall onto the bed, sighing as he sinks into the soft mattress. “Maybe _I'll_ leave _you_ for the bed,” he jokes. “It's a pretty nice bed, after all.”

 

“Ouch,” Noya replies, sinking down beside him. “I can't believe you'd pick a bed over me.”

 

A snort leaves the taller man. “Hey, you started it,” he reminds him, shutting his eyes and letting out a content sigh. “Ugh, I'm so tired, I don't even care about eating,” he moans.

 

Noya laughs. “C'mon, it'll take you like a minute to eat and then we can sleep.”

 

Ryuu groans―Noya is right. Heaving himself up into a sitting position, he grabs the bag and digs through it, handing Noya his burger before unwrapping his own. They eat in silence, and once they're both done, Noya stands and motions for Ryuu to follow. “I should probably show you where the bathroom is, shouldn't I? We have to brush our teeth anyway.”

 

Ryuu stands as well, stifling a yawn with his hand and bending to retrieve his bag of toiletries from his suitcase. “Lead the way,” he says, raking a hand through his messy hair and throwing the beanie he'd been wearing into his suitcase.

 

Noya leads him down a different hall than the one they'd come down to get to the bedroom, stopping in front of a door and flipping the light on inside to reveal a small but clean bathroom. No words are exchanged as they pull out their toothbrushes and brush their teeth, and Noya wordlessly hands him a facecloth so he can wash his face.

 

With that done, they head back to the bedroom and begin to undress for bed. Ryuu kicks his sweatpants off without really thinking too much about it, but when his hands close around the hem of his shirt, he hesitates. They're going to be sleeping so close together...

 

“Something wrong?”

 

He turns to find Noya crawling into bed. He's just wearing his boxers, and Ryuu swallows hard. They both usually sleep in just their boxers, but they're _also_ usually at opposite ends of the bed so they never really have to worry about their skin touching. But now...

 

“Nah, just spaced out for a second,” he replies, scratching his head in embarrassment. Knowing it will seem weirder if he doesn't, he slips his shirt off and flicks the light off before climbing in beside Noya, trying desperately to keep his cool when Noya immediately shuffles closer so that they're pressed right up against each other.

 

“Try to ignore how awkward this is and get some sleep, yeah?” Noya says with an awkward laugh, ducking his head against Ryuu's back. His face feels hot, and Ryuu takes comfort in the knowledge that he's not the only one that's embarrassed.

 

Feeling his lips pull up into a smile, Ryuu chuckles and lets his eyes close. “I can do that,” he replies, shifting to get more comfortable. It really _is_ a nice bed.

 

“Night, Ryuu,” the smaller man murmurs, his soft hair tickling Ryuu's back as he nuzzles his face into his pillow.

 

Biting his lip, Ryuu feels his own cheeks heat up as he whispers “...goodnight, Yuu.”

 

Noya doesn't say anything in response, but his face grows hotter against Ryuu's back. Ryuu wonders if it's actually possible to combust from embarrassment alone.

 

They fall asleep eventually, red-faced and awkwardly pressed together.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much blushing
> 
> comments are very much appreciated!! as always, feel free to hmu on [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com) and talk to me abt tananoya headcanons/literally anything tananoya related or the fic or anything really <3 and dont forget to look at the super awesome fanart i linked earlier too!!
> 
> (ps bc i have no self control i'll probably update again on the 18th aka my bday so look forward to that)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2 ME TBH
> 
> theres only 1 hour left of my bday but im uploading this chapter as a present to myself bc its one of my fav chapters so far tbh :') i hope yall enjoy it!!
> 
> ALSO my friend cameron drew me some adorable fanart for this fic as a bday present bc hes the best so [go check it out!!](http://spookiijimas.tumblr.com/post/131408241861/ryuu-can-do-nothing-but-stand-in-shocked-silence)

When Ryuu opens his eyes and checks the time on his phone, he groans a little when he sees that it's only 7:30. Knowing it would be pointless to go back to sleep since he'd most likely have to get up soon anyway, he rolls out of bed and stumbles out of the room, hoping he remembers which door is the bathroom door. He thankfully picks the right one and immediately heads inside to empty his bladder, splashing some water on his face and brushing his teeth once he's done to wake himself up a little more. His bed hair is absolutely atrocious, but he figures it's fine to leave it for now―he doesn't feel like fighting with the unruly waves so early in the morning.

 

When he leaves the bathroom, he nearly slams right into a smaller body. He assumes it's Noya at first due to the short stature and dark hair, but then, with the most abject horror, he comes to a realization. And that realization is that it's _Noya's mom_ that's standing in front of him, and he's standing in front of her wearing nothing but his rainbow-patterned boxers.

 

He kind of wants to die right about now.

 

“Oh my gosh! Is that _you_ , Ryuu-kun?!” she gasps, covering her mouth and nearly dropping the basket of laundry she's holding in shock.

 

He scratches his neck, doing his best to smile but he's _pretty_ sure it's a grimace at best. “Long time no see, Tsukiko-san.”

 

“You've certainly changed since I last saw you!” she exclaims, brown eyes sparkling in the exact same way her son's do as she tucks a stray piece of dark hair that had fallen out of her short ponytail behind her ear. “Look at all those tattoos! And piercings! And your hair! You've grown into such a handsome young man!”

 

He laughs a little, blushing at the praise. “You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you― _no_ , wait. I think you've somehow gotten even more beautiful since then, Tsukiko-san!”

 

She lets out a boisterous laugh, gently smacking his arm. “Still the same charmer, I see. I'll admit, I was a little shocked to see a half-naked man in my hallway, but I couldn't be happier knowing it's you! I can't believe Yuu didn't tell me he was bringing _you_!”

 

His blush deepens, this time out of embarrassment. “You know how he likes his surprises...and sorry, Tsukiko-san, I forgot to put on some pants before leaving the room,” he admits, ducking his head. “Anyway, let me carry that basket for you! A pretty lady such as yourself shouldn't strain herself with physical labor!” he says quickly, trying to deflect the attention from himself.

 

She rolls her eyes, grinning up at him. “I'm not so old that I can't carry a laundry basket, Ryuu-kun,” she reminds him with a wink. “But I _suppose_ that if I have some strapping young men around the house then I should at least make them a little useful, hmm?” She holds out the basket and allows him to take it, leading him further down the hallway and into what is clearly a laundry room. She motions for him to place it on top of the washing machine before grabbing him by the arm and practically dragging him back toward the bedroom. “Let's wake my lazy son up, he shouldn't be sleeping while his guest is already up!”

 

Knowing not to argue, he allows himself to be pulled along. She may be small but she's surprisingly strong, and, like her son, she's not to be taken lightly because of her small stature. Ryuu is honestly not sure he could break her grip if he even tried.

 

She gives him a push toward the bed once they reach the bedroom, her eyes glinting. “You wake him up, I'm sure he'll be less grumpy if his boyfriend wakes him up instead of his mother,” she tells him, a mischievous grin that's eerily similar to her son's tugging at her lips.

 

Swallowing hard, Ryuu turns his head toward the bed, his eyes resting on the still sleeping form of his best friend. His mouth is open and he's drooling a little, his arms stretched out in front of him to occupy the space where Ryuu had been laying. Nervously licking his lips, Ryuu walks over to the bed before bending over and laying a hand on Noya's shoulder, giving it a shake. “Yuu, time to wake up,” he says quietly. “Come on, Yuu, your mom says you have to get up...”

 

Noya's eyes crack open. “Ryuu...? Why are you calling me―”

 

Eyes widening, Ryuu hastily ducks down and presses their lips together to cut him off. He watches Noya's eyes widen comically before he realizes what's going on and relaxes, reaching his arms up to wrap them around Ryuu's neck.

 

Tsukiko giggles from the doorway, causing them to break apart. “Oh _my_ , I'll just...step out. Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, make sure you're dressed when you come out to eat,” she says innocently before closing the door and disappearing down the hall, humming to herself.

 

Ryuu collapses face first into the pillow. “That was so close,” he groans.

 

“That was some quick thinking,” Noya mumbles. Ryuu turns his head and finds him rubbing his face tiredly. “I almost blew our cover there, didn't I?”

 

“I think I almost had a heart attack,” Ryuu whines before burying his face in the pillow again. His heart is still pounding...

 

“Well I must say, today's kiss was definitely much better than yesterday's,” Noya teases, poking his side.

 

“Shut _up_ ,” he mutters before groaning again. “We're not going to survive this week, I know it.”

 

“C'mon, it was one little slipup! It's not gonna happen again, we're gonna be totally fine,” Noya says confidently. “Anyway, what did Ma say when she saw you?” he asks.

 

Ryuu rolls over, running a hand through his messy hair. “She was pretty surprised,” he replies. “She seemed pretty happy, though.”

 

An unreadable look passes over Noya's face for a moment before it's gone, replaced by a grin. “That's good, I knew she would be.”

 

“I can't believe I forgot to at least put on pants before I left the room, though,” Ryuu mutters, covering his face in mortification. “She saw me in my _boxers_ , bro.”

 

Noya bursts out laughing, and Ryuu pouts. “Could be worse, man,” the shorter man reminds him, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You coulda been _naked_.”

 

Ryuu scoffs. “In what world would your mother accidentally see me naked?”

 

Noya bites his lip, but his grin remains. “ _Well_ , if we were actually dating it wouldn't be out of the question for us to sleep naked, y'know?”

 

Ryuu's mouth falls open, but he quickly snaps it shut. _No_ , he's not going to allow himself to think about that―he _can't_. That's just...too much. He resolved himself long ago not to go anywhere near thoughts like that.

 

Sitting up and grabbing his pillow, he smacks Noya in the face with it, which only earns more laughter. “I'm gonna pretend you didn't just put that image in my head,” he mutters. “Anyway, we should probably head out to the kitchen now, shouldn't we?”

 

“Yeah yeah,” Noya says through a yawn, stretching his arms above his head and arching his back until it cracks. “Don't forget to get dressed this time,” he jokes, grinning mischievously.

 

“Very funny,” Ryuu sighs as he stands, pulling on his sweatpants from the day before along with his sweater, zipping it up to cover his bare chest. Noya pulls on his clothes from the day before as well, and then the two of them make their way out to the kitchen.

 

A tiny, wizened old woman is standing at the counter cutting fruit when they get there, snow white hair tied into a tight bun on the top of her head. Ryuu figures she must be Noya's grandmother; since she's always lived in Kyoto, he's never met her before.

 

“Grams!” Noya exclaims, running over to give her a tight hug. She looks so small and frail that Ryuu is scared he's going to break her or something, but then her arms are wrapping around him and squeezing him just as tightly.

 

Ryuu decides that the Nishinoyas are a terrifying family that are not to be messed with. _Ever_.

 

When they let go of each other, Noya's grandmother immediately reaches up to smack his head. “Idiot grandson, you never visit me,” she mutters.

 

Noya rubs at his head, having the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry, Grams, I've been busy.”

 

A loud 'hmph' leaves her throat. “Too busy to visit your dear old grandmother?” She shakes her head. “This generation doesn't appreciate their family at all!”

 

Noya's lips twist into a smile. “You have no idea how much I've missed you, Grams,” he says, a soft look in his eyes.

 

“You wouldn't have to miss me if you visited me more often!” she nearly growls before returning to cutting fruit.

 

Still smiling, Noya reaches out to grab Ryuu by the arm and pulls him closer. “Grams, this is my boyfriend, Tanaka Ryuunosuke. Ryuu, this is my Grams.” It's amazing how even his voice is as he says it―there's no hesitation, no stutters...he says it confidently as if it's the truth, and it leaves Ryuu just the tiniest bit in awe. A ghost of the hero-worship he used to feel for his best friend flashes through him, and he resists the urge to voice his admiration.

 

Ryuu bows. “It's nice to meet you, Nishinoya-san.”

 

She snorts. “Please, call me 'Miyako-san',” she tells him as he straightens up. “It's nice to meet you as well, Ryuunosuke-kun. Am I to assume you're the same Ryuunosuke my grandson has known since high school?” she questions, brown eyes kind and inviting. It's a stark difference to how she'd acted when talking to Noya, so much that it takes him aback a little.

 

“Yes, that's me,” he answers with a polite smile. “We've been friends for a very long time now.”

 

She smiles. “You know, it's said that the most successful romantic relationships bloom from friendships,” she comments with a wink.

 

He feels his smile tighten the smallest bit but tries to ignore the feelings that her words stir up inside of him. “Is that so?”

 

Noya takes that as his cue to cut in. “Grams, is breakfast almost ready? I'm starved,” he whines, and Ryuu is grateful for the subject change.

 

Miyako purses her lips in displeasure, but there's humor in her eyes. “I thought you'd lose that whine as you got older, but it seems I was mistaken. Get the bowls and help me serve the food while Ryuunosuke-kun sits down.”

 

Ryuu opens his mouth. “I can help―”

 

She waves a hand toward the table. “Hush, you're our guest,” she cuts him off.

 

“Grams, I'm technically a guest too,” Noya points out, as he starts pulling bowls out of the cupboard.

 

She scoffs and flicks his ear. “Idiot grandsons don't count as guests,” she retorts.

 

Noya rubs at his ear and pouts. “Grams, I don't remember you being this mean.”

 

At that, she smiles sweetly though there's an almost menacing undertone to it. “I'm surprised you remember me at all, since you never seem to remember to visit me.”

 

Noya groans. “Okay, okay! I get it, Grams, I'll start visiting more,” he mumbles.

 

Face softening, she reaches up to pat his cheek. “That's all I wanted to hear.”

 

“Mother, are you guilt-tripping Yuu again?” Tsukiko asks as she enters the kitchen.

 

Miyako grins at her daughter. “There's nothing wrong with telling him to visit more, dear.” She turns her attention back to Ryuu, a mischievous smile on her face. “You'll make sure he comes here more, won't you Ryuunosuke-kun?”

 

He smiles good-naturedly. “Sure thing, Miyako-san.”

 

She looks at Noya, lips pursed. “I like your boyfriend, don't be an idiot and screw this relationship up like you did with the last few,” she says, cutting up the last of the fruit.

 

His mouth falls open, a scandalized look on his face. “Hey, I didn't screw _all_ of them up! They just weren't meant to _be_ , Grams.”

 

Tsukiko lays a hand on her son's head, fussing with his messy hair in that way that mothers tend to do. “I think that what your grandmother is trying to say is that it's about time you stop dating just for the sake of dating and settle down, hmm? You're almost twenty-two years old, Yuu.” She glances over at Ryuu and her face softens. “But I have a good feeling about you two. You've known each other for so long now, I _know_ everything will work out between the two of you.”

 

It takes all the strength Ryuu has to keep a straight face. He feels so _awful_ ―he really wishes Noya hadn't asked him to do this, because it feels so wrong to lie like this to his family. The fact that they're so welcoming and happy about the “relationship” just makes it ten times worse.

 

He wishes he could just go home.

 

“Ma, please, you're being embarrassing,” Noya mumbles, scratching his cheek.

 

She rolls her eyes. “Alright, alright, I'll stop. You go sit, I'll bring the food over.”

 

“You spoil him, Tsukiko,” Miyako mutters.

 

“He's my only child, mother, who else am I going to spoil?” Tsukiko counters with a smile.

 

Noya takes a seat beside Ryuu, shooting him an apologetic look. Ryuu just waves a hand, not trusting himself to speak without his voice breaking or something equally as embarrassing.

 

The four of them eat their breakfast in relative silence, and neither Ryuu nor Noya end up speaking a single word at all.

 

* * *

 

The rest of Friday is mostly uneventful. Tsukiko tells them that they should relax since they'd been driving all day the day before, but they end up helping her around the house anyway. After supper, Tsukiko insists that the four of them play a board game, and Miyako somehow seems to win every single time (Noya accuses her of somehow cheating, which earns him a whack on the head). The entire day, they don't speak of what was said at breakfast―Ryuu can't speak for Noya, but he knows that he himself doesn't really know what to say anyway.

 

It's when they're laying in bed, both fidgeting restlessly and unable to sleep, that Noya brings it up.

 

“You've been really quiet all day,” he says quietly, even though they're all alone in that end of the house so it's not as if they _have_ to speak quietly. “Is it...because of what Ma said at breakfast?”

 

Ryuu had been facing away from Noya, but he rolls over to speak to him. “I just...” He bites his lip before sighing, rubbing his face tiredly. “I feel bad about lying to them, Noya. They seem really happy to see us together, but...we're _not_ together, y'know?” _No matter how much I wish we were_ , he tacks on silently, but then shakes that thought from his head. He's supposed to be getting over Noya, not continuing to pine over him like this.

 

Noya lets out a sigh of his own. “I didn't expect them to be quite so excited,” he admits. “I just wanted to shut them up for a little while, but I guess I underestimated how lovable you are.” He cracks a small smile as he says it, but it quickly falls from his face when Ryuu doesn't smile back. He sighs again, rolling onto his back and fixing his eyes onto the ceiling. “Look, Ryuu...if you want, we can tell them it's all a lie tomorrow. Y'know, before it gets any deeper than this. We can forget this whole thing happened and just...I dunno, leave early. We'd have to stay for the family reunion, but after that we can go home if you want. I don't...I don't wanna make you uncomfortable, as I'm sure you were when they were saying that stuff about us being good together or whatever.”

 

 _He's giving you the out you wanted so badly,_ a little voice in his head says. And he really _does_ want it, so...

 

...why is he hesitating?

 

“Won't they be upset with you?” he asks, chewing on his lip.

 

Noya shrugs. “It's my own fault for being a jackass and lying to them,” he replies, rolling back over to face Ryuu. “Don't worry about me, man.”

 

Ryuu closes his eyes to think. He knows that the right thing to do would be to tell them and accept the consequences, but...Noya rarely gets the time to visit his family, and Ryuu knows he misses them even though he never says so. It obvious that they've missed him, too. He doesn't wanna cut their visit short when they're clearly so happy to see him...

 

And there a not-so-small part of him that isn’t ready for this to end yet. Call him stupid or selfish or whatever you want, but he wants to live this lie as long as he can. He thinks he must be a masochist or something for willingly putting himself through this, but he doesn't care.

 

Coming to a decision and praying he won't regret it, he shakes his head. “I think I'd feel worse if we ended up having to leave early, honestly. I think that what we need to do right now is commit ourselves to seeing this through, and we'll just...deal with the fallout later, I guess? I don't want to upset them while we're here. We just need to get through the week and then...I dunno, you can just tell them we broke up sometime in the future.”

 

“Are you _sure_ , Ryuu?” he questions, looking unsure himself. “I understand what you're saying and I agree with you completely, but...are you sure you don't mind?”

 

Ryuu shrugs in a way that he hopes seems nonchalant. “I knew what I was agreeing to when you asked, Noya. I mean, it's a little harder than I was expecting it to be, but I'm ready to see it through if you are.”

 

Surprising the taller man, Noya rolls over and pulls him into a hug. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this, man,” he whispers.

 

Swallowing hard, Ryuu wraps his arms around him in return, giving him a little squeeze and hoping he can't feel his heart pounding. “It's what best friends are for, isn't it?” he teases weakly.

 

“Mm,” Noya hums, a yawn escaping him. “You're really comfy, you know that?”

 

“It's been brought to my attention once or twice,” he replies, shrugging as best he can while still hugging Noya.

 

He feels Noya smile against his chest. “I could probably fall asleep like this.”

 

Ryuu's breath catches in his throat. Praying for his voice to remain even, he opens his mouth to speak, knowing that he's only digging his own grave even deeper but not really caring at this point. “Well...you _can_...if you want to. I mean, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if someone here saw us sleeping like this, since they think we're...boyfriends,” he says as casually as he possibly can. The more rational part of his brain is practically screaming for him to stop torturing himself like this, but he chooses not to listen.

 

Noya lifts his head to look at him, a single eyebrow raised and the smallest of grins on his face. “Never woulda pegged you for a cuddler, Ryuu,” he comments, laughing. “But...since you're offering...” He lets his head fall back onto Ryuu's chest. “Are you comfortable, or do you need to move at all?” he asks, tilting his head upward so that he can meet Ryuu's eyes.

 

Ryuu shifts the smallest bit before settling. “I'm good now,” he announces, glad that the room is dark enough to hide the redness of his cheeks.

 

Noya presses his face back into Ryuu's chest, a sigh of content escaping him. “Okay. Goodnight, Ryuu,” he murmurs.

 

“Goodnight, Yuu.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WANNA JUST SHOVE THEM TOGETHER BUT I MUST RESIST
> 
> the last scene of this chapter is like my fav tbh?? i love it. i love them. end me tbh
> 
> so there was a lil bit of angst this chapter and unfortunately there will be more in the next chapter bc im an asshole so :^) i'll try and update as soon as i can but im not sure how much time i'll have to write from this point on bc i actually just got a job so im sure that'll take up a good chunk of my time unfortunately :c i'll try and write in every bit of spare time that i have tho, bc i love this fic and i love sharing it with yall so don't worry ok? <3
> 
> as always, i love hearing what yall think!! and feel free to hmu on [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com) and talk to me abt whatever bc i am v friendly i promise \o/


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY ITS TAKEN ME SO LONG TO GET THIS CHAPTER UP WORKS BEEN KICKING MY ASS HONESTLY
> 
> on the bright side, i have the day off tomorrow, which is why im finally updating :')
> 
> i hope y'all enjoy the chapter!

When Ryuu wakes up the next morning, he finds that they're still holding each other the way they had been when they fell asleep. The only difference is that at some point their legs had become entwined, pulling them even closer together.

 

_I could get used to this_ is his first thought. It's true―he really wouldn't mind waking up like this every day.

 

But he reminds himself that that's not possible. He and Noya are just friends, and that's all they're ever going to be.  _And that's fine_ , he tells himself, taking a deep breath and focusing on making himself  _actually_ believe that.

 

He hears Noya make a soft noise before he lifts his head, smiling sleepily when he sees that Ryuu is awake and looking at him.

 

“Good morning,” he murmurs, voice husky with sleep. Sunlight is streaming in through the window and catching his hair, making it glow with a soft yellow light, and Ryuu can't help but think that he looks beautiful like this.

 

“Good morning,” he replies, unable to resist smiling back. There's no point in thinking about the fact that this is going to end in a few days―he might as well just enjoy it now and deal with his feelings later.

 

“What time is it?” Noya asks, eyes droopy. He looks like he's trying not to fall asleep again.

 

Ryuu hums, shrugging. “I haven't looked, I only woke up like a minute before you did.”

 

Noya allows his head to rest on Ryuu's chest once more, closing his eyes. “I don't want to move yet,” he mumbles sleepily, rubbing his head against Ryuu's collarbone.

 

“Me either,” Ryuu says softly, unable to stop himself from squeezing Noya a little tighter. If it was up to him, he'd stay here forever.

 

“I had a really good sleep,” Noya hums, the words coming out slightly slurred. “You're warm...and comfy...”

 

Ryuu chews on his lower lip, taking a slightly shaky breath. “I had a good sleep, too.”

 

Noya doesn't answer―he's seems to have dozed off again on Ryuu's chest, soft snores escaping his slightly-open mouth. Hesitantly, Ryuu reaches out to stroke his hair, smoothing down the pieces that are sticking up, and he's struck by just how  _soft_ it is.

 

There's a knock on the door a moment later, which startles him enough that he rips his hand away from Noya's hair. When it cracks open a moment later to reveal both Tsukiko and Miyako, Ryuu tries to keep himself from sighing.

 

“Ryuu-kun, you always seem to be up before my son,” Tsukiko says in greeting as she opens the door a little more.

 

“Not only is my grandson an idiot, he's a _lazy_ idiot,” Miyako sighs, shaking her head.

 

“'m not asleep, go away,” Noya mumbles, shifting and burying his head into the crook of Ryuu's shoulder.

 

Ryuu freezes at that―surely he hadn't been awake when he was touching his hair...? He's not sure how he'd be able to explain that...

 

Tsukiko snorts. “Yuu, don't be grumpy, it's not cute when you're as old as you are,” she chides. “Breakfast is ready now, boys, so hurry out to the kitchen okay?”

 

“Thanks, Tsukiko-san, Miyako-san. We'll be right out,” Ryuu tells her, offering a smile.

 

The two women leave, lightly sliding the door shut behind them, and Noya sighs. “I didn't wanna get up yet,” he whines. “They came in right when I was finally falling asleep again...”

 

Ryuu's eyes widen. “You mean...you were still awake?” he asks slowly, swallowing hard as his palms start to sweat.

 

He feels Noya nod. “It was nice when you were touching my hair,” he says, and Ryuu can hear the smile in his voice.

 

Ryuu wishes the earth would just swallow him up―he's mortified. “Sorry if that was weird, your hair just looked...really soft,” he says lamely.

 

Noya props himself up on his elbow, and Ryuu is shocked to see that his face is red. “I didn't mind it,” he tells him, barely meeting his eyes.

 

They stare at each other for a few more seconds before they both look away, faces red with embarrassment. Noya rolls off of Ryuu to pull some pants on, and Ryuu follows suit a moment later, shrugging a sweater on as well. They head out to the kitchen in silence, finding their food already at the table along with Miyako and Tsukiko.

 

Breakfast is a silent affair again, but today Ryuu doesn't mind.

 

* * *

 

Most of the day is spent helping the Nishinoya women clean in preparation for the reunion the next day, which mostly involves dusting and general tidying. Being the only tall one, Ryuu cleans all the places that the others can't easily reach, which Tsukiko thanks him profusely for. Noya was instructed to sweep the floors and clean all the windows and mirrors, and he and Ryuu end up being mostly apart for the day. Ryuu doesn't mind―he figures it's good time to try and clear his head.

 

He's most likely imagining it, but...for some reason, it feels like things have changed between him and Noya. It's only a small shift, but it's  _there_ and he doesn't know what to think. Because it almost seems as if Noya might be into him―he  _knows_ he has to be imagining it though, so he tries not to think about it too much. Because thinking about it will only give him false hope, and he honestly doesn't want to do that to himself―not now, when he's already struggling to get over him as it is.

 

After all of the dusting and such is done, Ryuu goes to find Tsukiko to ask if there's anything else he can do. He finds her in the laundry room, humming tunelessly as she folds clothes. Her short black hair is falling out of the tiny ponytail she'd tied it into, but she either doesn't notice or doesn't mind, Her light brown eyes look tired and he detects a hint of stress in her brow, which doesn't really surprise him―hosting a big family reunion would probably stress him out, too.

 

“I finished everything you asked me to do, Tsukiko-san,” he announces, smiling at the older woman.

 

She smiles back, and it makes her look even more tired for some reason. “Thank you so much for your help, Ryuu-kun, I really appreciate it,” she says, placing the shirt she'd just folded into a basket full off other folded clothing. “Yuu should be done with whatever he's doing soon, and then you two are free for the night,” she adds, reaching for another shirt to fold.

 

His brow furrows. “Are you sure there isn't anything else I can do to help?” he questions.

 

She laughs a little. “You're such a sweet boy, Ryuu-kun. Thank you for the offer, but I promise you've already done more than enough. Go find Yuu, I'll come get you both when it's time for supper.”

 

_That's it!_ he thinks, squaring his shoulders. “Please let me cook dinner,” he offers. “I cook for my sister a lot so I  _promise_ it'll be edible. Yuu can help me―you and Miyako-san should just relax for the rest of the night.”

 

Her eyes widen, her mouth falling open in surprise. “You really don't have to do that!” she exclaims. “You're our guest, you've already done much more than you should have!”

 

He smiles again. “I want to, Tsukiko-san. Please let me cook for you all?”

 

She purses her lips, clearly considering it, before finally sighing. “I must look more tired than I thought, hmm?” she asks, a soft smile on her face. “If you insist that much, I guess it would be okay.”

 

“I'll get started as soon as Yuu is done cleaning!” he tells her with a grin.

 

“Get started on what?”

 

Ryuu turns to the doorway to find Noya, a rag and bottle of window cleaner in his hand.

 

“Your lovely boyfriend insists on cooking tonight,” Tsukiko replies, giggling. “Be a dear and help him.”

 

Noya raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Oh?”

 

Ryuu feels his face heat up. “I just thought it would be a nice thing to do,” he explains, picking at the hem of his shirt.

 

Noya moves closer, wrapping an arm around Ryuu once he's beside him and stretching to plant a kiss on his cheek. “How thoughtful of you,” he says with a grin.

 

Ryuu's pretty sure there's steam coming out of his ears at this point. “I try,” he coughs, nervously raking a hand through his hair. He can't help it―no matter how much he tries, he can't get used to the little affectionate gestures. It's easier when he's the one being affectionate since he's in control, but when it's Noya...it always catches him off guard.

 

“He gets embarrassed awfully easily, doesn't he?” Tsukiko asks her son with a laugh.

 

Yuu grins and pats Ryuu's chest. “Isn't he cute?”

 

Ryuu's mouth falls open―how the hell is Noya so good at this? He looks back and forth between the two Nishinoyas, mouth flapping uselessly as he sputters, and Tsukiko laughs again.

 

“Sorry Ryuu-kun, we'll stop ganging up on you now,” she assures him, laying a hand on his arm. “I'll just finish folding these clothes and then I'll go find my mother and watch some tv or something―the kitchen is all yours.”

 

Nodding, Ryuu moves toward the door, Noya following behind him. They're quiet as they walk toward the kitchen―Ryuu's mind is racing too much to speak.

 

“That wasn't too much, was it?” Noya asks hesitantly once they reach the kitchen, biting his lip as he looks up at Ryuu.

 

“...nah,” Ryuu replies, swallowing hard. “That would've been normal behavior for people who are in a relationship, so...good thinking.”

 

Noya lets out a sigh of relief. “I think we should probably discuss boundaries at some point,” he muses as Ryuu begins to dig through the cupboards and fridge, looking for something to cook. “Since we haven't really done that yet...”

 

Ryuu glances over at him, meeting his eyes for a few second before turning his attention back to the fridge and decisively pulling out some pork. “I'm fine with whatever you think the situation calls for,” he says evenly, mentally patting himself on the back for sounding so nonchalant. “I doubt there's anything you could do to make me uncomfortable.”  _Flustered and confused, yes, but not uncomfortable_ , he adds silently.

 

“I agree,” Noya answers, wrinkling his nose as he pushes his hair out of his face. “I guess we'll just trust each other's judgement, then?”

 

Ryuu nods, brow furrowing as he continues to look around. “Do you know where the ginger would be?” he asks.

 

Noya immediately finds it for him, handing it to him. “What are you making?” he questions.

 

“I was thinking shogayaki,” he replies, shrugging. “It's quick, easy and it tastes good.”

 

Noya's eyes instantly light up. “Sounds good to me!” he exclaims. “What do you need me to help with?”

 

“Can you grate the ginger and onions?”

 

Noya salutes him. “Yessir!”

 

They get to work, Ryuu cutting the pork into ultra thin slices while Noya grates the ginger and onions. Once that's done, Ryuu mixes sake, mirin and soy sauce into the same bowl as the grated ingredients and proceeds to start frying the pork in oil.

 

“Can you chop up some cabbage?” he asks, not taking his eyes off the pork. He doesn't want to accidentally burn it or anything.

 

Noya hums in affirmation, and the sound of chopping fills the room along with the sizzling sound of the meat cooking. The kitchen is otherwise silent, but it's comfortable―it's not the kind of silence that needs to be filled with meaningless chatter. They're both content to just... _exist_ together, working in tandem.

 

Once the meat is brown on both sides, Ryuu pours the sauce on top, stirring it around a little before turning the stove off and moving the pan away from the hot burner. “Where are the plates?” he asks, looking around.

 

Noya sets down his knife, finished with slicing the cabbage. “I'll get them,” he says in reply, immediately heading over to the cupboards and opening them to reveal all sorts of bowls and plates. He reaches his arm out to grab a set of plates, biting his lip as he struggles to reach them. “Why do Ma and Grams even use the higher shelves? They're even shorter than I am,” he mutters, stretching onto his toes in an effort to reach them.

 

Immediately, Ryuu heads over to help, stopping just behind Noya and effortlessly reaching out and grabbing the plates. Noya turns his head in surprise when he feels Ryuu's chest press against his back, turning his entire body around as Ryuu sets the plates on the counter behind him. They stare at each other for a moment, chests pressed together, and Ryuu watches Noya's adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallows hard, his cheeks rapidly reddening.

 

_I want to kiss him,_ is all Ryuu can think, staring down at him. Unable to help it, he leans down, moving closer, until...

 

“I come to make sure you haven't burned the kitchen down and instead find you two neglecting the food to stare at each other like lovesick fools,” Miyako sighs from the doorway, instantly capturing their attention.

 

Ryuu blinks hard. His mouth feels dry when he opens it to speak, and his voice cracks a little. “Sorry, Miyako-san...the food is ready now,” he tells her, clearing his throat.

 

She shakes her head, an amused smile on her face. “Ah, how I miss being young and in love,” she says, a nostalgic tone to her voice. “I'll go get Tsukiko, I suppose.” She ambles away, leaving Ryuu and Noya alone once more.

 

“Ryuu,” Noya whispers, licking his lips. “We need to get the food on the plates...”

 

“Right,” Ryuu says awkwardly, stepping aside and allowing Noya to move toward the food, plates in hand. He can't believe he allowed such a lapse in his control―he'd just been about to... _kiss_ him. While no one else was around to pretend for. How could he be so reckless? He'd almost blown his cover...

 

They all sit down to eat, and Noya luckily doesn't say anything about what happened. Miyako doesn't say anything either, meaning she'd probably already told Tsukiko...

 

Ryuu feels a headache building between his eyes and sighs.

 

* * *

 

“That was delicious, Ryuu-kun,” Tsukiko gushes upon finishing her meal. “Thank you for cooking for us!”

 

He musters the energy to smile. “No problem, Tsukiko-san.”

 

Her brow furrows. “Are you alright?” she asks, immediately starting to exude waves of motherly concern.

 

He waves a hand dismissively. “I just have a bit of a headache, I'm fine,” he assures her.

 

Miyako hums. “You should take some painkillers and lay down, Ryuunosuke-kun,” she says gently but firmly. “It'll go away faster if you do.”

 

That...actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. “I might do that,” he sighs, rubbing his temples.

 

“Yuu, get some painkillers and water for Ryuu-kun,” Tsukiko instructs her son. “You can help me with the dishes while he lays down.”

 

Noya nods, leaving the table and coming back a moment later with a small white pill and a glass of water which he hands to Ryuu. The taller man takes it and their hands brush together the smallest bit, which makes Noya jump. Ryuu tries not to wince at that, swallowing the pill and drinking all the water so he can escape as quickly as possible.

 

“Go on and get settled, I'll bring you a cold cloth to put on your face,” Tsukiko says warmly, briefly laying a hand on Ryuu's arm before standing. He stands as well, silently heading toward the bedroom, where he sheds his shirt to get more comfortable and climbs into bed, pulling the blankets over himself.

 

Tsukiko brings him a cloth a moment later, telling him to just relax and maybe sleep as she lays the cloth over his eyes.

 

“Thank you, Tsukiko-san,” he murmurs.

 

“No need to thank me,” she replies with a small laugh. “I hope you feel better soon, Ryuu-kun.”

 

She leaves the room, and Ryuu hears the door click shut behind her. Laying in the dark room with his eyes closed, he suddenly realizes how tired he is―he hasn't really gotten a whole lot of sleep lately, so it's not really all that surprising that he's tired.

 

It's only eight o'clock, but he thinks that maybe going to sleep might not be such a bad idea.

 

When he's laying there, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness after having lain there for almost twenty minutes, he hears voices outside the door.

 

“...think I'll go to sleep now too,” he hears Noya say. “I'm pretty tired, and tomorrow's going to be a long day.”

 

“Alright, but be careful not to disturb Ryuu-kun,” he hears Tsukiko tell him before the door opens, followed by the sound of soft footsteps and the door sliding shut once more.

 

Noya is quiet as he undresses and gets into bed, so quiet that it barely disturbs Ryuu from his state of almost-sleep.

 

But then he feels Noya move closer until his chest is pressed against Ryuu's back, and Ryuu nearly jumps as he feels a hesitant hand start to move gently through his hair. “I hope you sleep well, Ryuu,” he says softly, and the sensation of his fingers in Ryuu's hair is so pleasant that it only serves to relax him further. If he was more awake, he'd probably be a nervous wreck, but in his current state, he only feels content.

 

Noya's small hand continues to move through his hair for a few moments more, fingernails lightly scratching his scalp, and Ryuu feels his consciousness getting farther away by the second. By the time it stops, he's drifting off―and he's not sure if it's his imagination or not, but he thinks that he feels the soft press of lips against his shoulderblade before sleep takes him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so close, yet so far away
> 
> ryuu is so angsty, my poor babe.............but it'll all be worth it in the end \o/
> 
> honestly, the comments y'all leave make me so happy?? so like. thank u so much tbh u guys rock, im sorry if i dont reply to all of them but pls know that i read them and they make me smile like a loser
> 
> i'll try and update again soon!! maybe around halloween, idk. we'll see i guess?? and as always, i love hearing ur thoughts on the chapter so dont be afraid to leave a comment here or message me on [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com) if you'd prefer that!!
> 
> i love yall, hopefully the next update wont take so long <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i meant to upload this yesterday but i was super tired from work rip
> 
> but!! here is chapter 7!! i hope u all enjoy \o/

Ryuu awakens the next morning to pleasant tickling feeling of fingers tracing the tattoos on his back. Blinking tiredly, he turns his head, finding Noya already looking at him with a sleepy smile on his face.

 

“Morning,” he greets him, fingers still tracing one of the five crows on Ryuu's back.

 

Ryuu lets out a small sigh of relief―it seems that Noya isn't weirded out by what had almost happened in the kitchen the night before. “G'morning,” he replies, a yawn breaking free from his mouth. “It's weird to see you up before me,” he comments, burrowing deeper into his pillow and getting a little more comfortable. It's barely light out―he almost wants so go back to sleep for a little while longer.

 

“I've only been up for fifteen minutes,” Noya tells him with a shrug. “Is your headache gone?”

 

Ryuu hums affirmatively. “I feel much better now.” He peeks back at Noya over his shoulder, a hint of a smile on his face. “You really like those tattoos, don't you?”

 

Noya laughs, his fingers moving on to a different crow. “I think they're really cool,” he replies. “They remind me of Karasuno.”

 

Ryuu hums again. “That's mostly why I got them.”

 

“Do you ever miss it? Y'know, being at Karasuno, playing volleyball...”

 

Still smiling, Ryuu nods. “I miss the old team, y'know? The one we had in our second year. I think about them a lot,” he answers, shrugging a little. “I mean, we still keep in contact with Shouyou and Chikara, and I see Tsukishima sometimes since Akiteru-san is dating my sister, but...I wonder about our old senpais a lot. Especially Kiyoko-san.” He sighs her name a little dreamily, and he hears Noya let out a little sigh of his own.

 

“Hard to believe that five years have passed since then, eh?” Noya questions, his fingers slipping over to trace the next crow. “Like...where did the time go? It's kinda sad, isn't it? Sometimes I wish we could go back and see everyone.”

 

“Sometimes I wish that, too, but...I like my life where it is now,” Ryuu admits. “I mean, living with my dumb older sister isn't where I thought I'd be at this stage of my life, but it's not _that_ bad. And...our friendship managed to last all these years, so...I have everything I need right now, really.”

 

Noya's fingers pause. “When you put it like that...yeah, I guess I have everything I need right now too,” he says, and Ryuu can hear his smile. “I still have you and nee-san, and that's all I really need.”

 

At that, a surge of emotion crashes through Ryuu. Embarrassingly, he has to blink away tears as he turns and impulsively hugs Noya, practically crushing him to his chest.

 

“Ryuu?” Noya questions even as his own arms wrap around the taller man.

 

“I'm really glad you stayed in my life,” Ryuu whispers, taking a deep breath. “I...can't really imagine what life would be like without you at this point, y'know?”

 

Noya's arms tighten around him. “I feel the same way,” he says softly. “You're...really important to me, Ryuu,” he adds, and Ryuu can feel how his face heats up as he says it. They don't ever say shit like this to each other, _mostly_ because it's embarrassing as hell, but also because they both figure it's something that doesn't really need to be said to be understood.

 

Ryuu does appreciate hearing it out loud, though. “You're important to me, too,” he murmurs, hugging him even tighter.

 

Suddenly, Noya starts to laugh. “Wow, we've been saying some pretty sappy shit these past few days, huh?”

 

Ryuu snorts, finally letting him go and rolling over onto his back. “It's been a weird week so far,” he replies.

 

Noya lets out a happy sigh, rolling onto his back as well. “I don't mind weird,” he says with a smile, raking a hand through his hair. “Anyway, we should probably shower and start getting ready for the day. You wanna go first?” he asks.

 

Ryuu shrugs. “Doesn't matter.”

 

Noya waves a hand toward the door. “You go ahead, I'm gonna go ask Ma what time people are gonna start showing up and ask her if she needs help with anything.”

 

“Alright.” Ryuu rolls out of bed, bones popping as he stretches, and reaches for his bag of toiletries before heading toward the bathroom. Once there, he slips his shower cap on so that his hair doesn't get wet before it's time to wash it (he doesn't want the blue to fade more than necessary, after all) and turns the water on, waiting a moment until the temperature is right and then humming to himself as he steps under the spray and starts to wash himself. He doesn't take long, and he does his hair as quickly as possible before shutting the water off. He pats at his hair with a towel before wrapping it around his waist and heading back to the bedroom, finding it empty. Shrugging, he slides the door shut behind him and begins to dress. He chooses a pair of black jeans and a loose grey tank top with abstract black designs on it, draping his wet towel over his head before leaving the room in search of Noya.

 

He finds him in the kitchen, finishing the last of his breakfast. Miyako is sitting at the table and knitting, humming to herself, but Tsukiko is nowhere in sight.

 

“Good morning, Miyako-san,” he greets, rubbing at his wet hair with the towel. “Where's Tsukiko-san?”

 

“Still asleep,” Noya replies through a mouthful of food.

 

Miyako flicks his ear. “Idiot grandson, don't speak with your mouth full of food.” She turns her attention to Ryuu. “I decided to let her sleep a little while longer today, since she'll be doing lots of running around while everyone is here,” she explains. “There's no need for her to be up this early anyway, the house is clean from yesterday.”

 

“We're going to the grocery store to pick some things up once I shower,” Noya tells him after he's swallowed the last of his food, setting his bowl and chopsticks aside. “You should eat now while I do that,” he adds, standing and stretching.

 

Ryuu nods, heading over to the rice cooker and scooping some into a bowl and pouring himself a bowl of miso soup. He grabs an egg as well before sitting down and beginning to eat, cracking the egg into his rice and mixing it thoroughly.

 

“So, Ryuunosuke-kun, you and I haven't had much time to talk,” Miyako says without looking up from whatever she's knitting. “I know you already knew Tsukiko before coming here since you've been friends with Yuu for so long, but I never got a chance to meet you before this. So I'd like you to tell me about your friendship with Yuu, and how it turned into this.”

 

Ryuu chews his food thoughtfully. “Well...we met in our first year of high school, when we both joined the volleyball team,” he begins with a fond smile. “I thought he was really cool, and a really good libero. I looked up to him a lot, honestly. Back then, I was probably more of an admirer than a best friend,” he says with a laugh. “But by our second year, he and I were basically inseparable. We were always staying over at each other's houses and stuff. I guess...it was around then when I started to fall for him.” He figures it's fine to tell her―Noya's not around, and he figures honesty is the most believable thing anyway.

 

Miyako's eyes light up. “Ah, so you've been in love with him for a very long time, hmm?”

 

“I...yes, I guess I have,” he replies, scratching the back of his neck before taking another bite of his rice. It's weird saying the words out loud to anyone other than his sister, but...it's a _good_ weird. He feels a little lighter, almost.

 

“But your relationship is only a recent thing?”

 

He laughs a little, hoping it doesn't sound too forced. “I guess I'm very good at hiding how I feel,” he answers. “He...never suspected a thing.” _And hopefully_ still _doesn't._

 

“So what changed? Who confessed?” she presses.

 

“I did,” he blurts without thinking. He's sure that Noya hasn't told her anything since she's asking him, so it should be fine. “I guess I just thought the time was right? And luckily...he felt the same.” The words feel like poison in his mouth―it hurts to lie about this, when he wants nothing more than for his words to be the truth.

 

_I'm never going to get over him,_ he realizes. He'd thought that this would help him, that maybe it would show him how weird it would be if they ever dated, but he was wrong―they're almost  _too_ good together, and all this is doing is hurting him. It doesn't help that Noya is sending out mixed signals, either; he's pulling Ryuu in all different directions, and it's making things even harder and more confusing than they need to be. He just wishes it could be done and over with already, so that he can just try to forget it ever happened.

 

But he made a promise, and he's going to stick to it.

 

He feels a small, wrinkled hand rest on his arm, and looks over to see Miyako smiling at him. “I can tell that you love my grandson very much, Ryuunosuke-kun, and I can tell how much he loves you as well,” she tells him, giving his arm a squeeze. “I'm glad that Yuu has someone who loves him so much. You make sure he's good to you, okay? He's a good boy, but he's a little stubborn and temperamental sometimes. I want you to make sure he's treating you the way you should be treated, the way you treat him―like something precious and irreplaceable that should be treated with love, care and respect. Relationships are a two way street, and they can never work without communication, trust and respect. I want to see you two live a long, happy life together, so take care of each other, yes?” She takes her hand off his arm and resumes her knitting, still smiling. “Hurry and finish your breakfast, I'm sorry for making you talk so much and distracting you from eating.”

 

“It's fine,” he replies, his voice cracking embarrassingly. He immediately starts shoveling his food into his mouth to try and distract himself, his mind racing as he processes Miyako's words.

 

_I can tell how much he loves you as well._

 

The words replay over and over in his mind. He _knows_ he shouldn't let them get to him, but they do. He needs to remind himself that Miyako only sees what he and Noya want her so see, though―from her viewpoint, it must seem like they're hopelessly in love with each other, but...he knows it's a lie. It _has_ to be. Noya's never said otherwise, after all, and he really isn't the type to keep things bottled up inside. He's always been the kind of person who just blurts out whatever is on his mind regardless of consequences, so Ryuu just...can't see him _ever_ keeping quiet about something like this.

 

_Don't get your hopes up, dumbass,_ he tells himself as he sips his soup.  _Don't make it harder on yourself than it needs to be._

 

Just as he's taking his last bite of rice, Noya returns to the kitchen. His hair is still wet but he's fully dressed, and he jerks his head toward the bedroom. “Do you need to grab anything before we leave the house?” he asks.

 

Ryuu nods, taking his dishes to the sink and turning to Miyako. “I'll wash these as soon as we get back, Miyako-san,” he tells her before following Noya out of the room. Once they reach the bedroom, Ryuu grabs a pair of red shoes from his bag as well as his wallet, which he tucks into the pocket of his jeans. Noya vigorously rubs at his hair with a towel for a moment before throwing it into the hamper, his fingers combing through the wet strands that hang in his face in an attempt to make them a little neater. Ryuu's hair is mostly dry at this point, but he doesn't have to time to style it―so instead he slips a beanie on, figuring he'll just fix his hair when they get back.

 

The drive to the grocery store is silent―Ryuu is too caught up in his own head, and Noya seems to sense that and thankfully leaves him be. Once they reach the grocery store, they only speak when looking for the things on the grocery list Miyako gave to Noya. It's a weird silence; it's not necessarily uncomfortable, but it's not comfortable either. It's just... _weird_ , and Ryuu doesn't know what to do about it. He knows he's the cause of it, but he doesn't know what to say because he's still so thrown off by Miyako's words to him at breakfast.

 

They finish getting everything on the list relatively quickly, and Noya pays with his own money instead of the money given to him before they left by Miyako―warmth bubbles up within Ryuu at the sight, knowing Noya is most likely going to sneak the money back to Miyako somehow without her knowing.

 

_God, I love him so much,_ he thinks suddenly as they gather up the bags, walking out of the store and back to Noya's little car. It's a surprisingly calm thought―for once in his life, he doesn't feel like it's something he shouldn't be thinking.

 

_I can tell how much he loves you as well._

 

He needs to stop remembering those words―he isn't going to allow himself to hope like that. He's just going to continue to love him quietly, he decides. He's surprisingly fine with that, considering how much inner turmoil he's been dealing with over the past few days. Before coming with him on this trip, the thought of continuing to love Noya without Noya loving him back was an agonizing one, but now...he thinks that maybe loving Noya is always going to be a part of him. Maybe it will eventually shrink to become a small enough part of him that then will allow him to maybe start loving someone else, but he doesn't think it'll ever fully go away.

 

And he realizes that that's okay. Loving Noya has been such a prominent thing in his life that he's not sure he'd ever _want_ it to go away, anyway.

 

With this realization, he feels at peace for the first time in a very long time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> savor that peace while it lasts, ryuu :^)
> 
> YA so..............the rating of this fic is going to go up in a few chapters bc im a Dirty Sinner and i have no self control?? i figured i'd just. give yall a heads up abt that. and if theres anyone who isn't cool w/ that, just let me know so i can figure out some way to mark it so that it can just be skipped over or smth?? idk i hate myself and my sinful hands
> 
> i'll try to upload chapter 8 soon!! but i need to finish the chapter im working on before i upload anything else bc i am running out of completed chapters and that makes me nervous l m a o
> 
> anyway!! as always, i love hearing what yall thought so feel free to let me know here or on [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com) (i have new url!! rip spooky url, u will be missed) ur comments make me cry in a good way :')


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG IVE BEEN WORKING A LOT LATELY BUT I FINALLY HAVE 3 DAYS OFF SO IM GONNA TRY AND GET AS MUCH OF THIS FIC DONE AS I CAN SO THAT YALL WONT HAVE TO WAIT SUPER LONG AGAIN
> 
> tbh?? im not 100% satisfied with this chapter but i don't wanna make yall wait any longer so like. maybe i'll fix it up later or smth but for now i hope u all can enjoy it anyway :')
> 
> ALSO TYSM FOR ALL THE COMMENTS I LOVE U GUYS A LOT

Ryuu should have known his new-found peace would be short-lived.

 

Noya is holding his hand, like he has been for the past half hour, introducing him to person after person. So far he's met some cousins whose names he can't remember for the life of him since there are so many of them, as well as Noya's uncle Kazuhiko and his aunt Atsuko. Ryuu tries to be polite and attentive to everyone he's introduced to, but mostly all he can think about is how small and warm Noya's hand feels in his own. Holding his hand is somehow even more embarrassing and intimate-feeling than kissing him has been, which Ryuu knows doesn't really make sense but it's true. There's just something about it that feels even more couple-y than kissing, for some reason, and it makes him nervous―he knows his hand even feels a little sweaty, but Noya thankfully doesn't seem to mind all that much. Or if he _does_ , he's nice enough not to comment.

 

Now Noya is dragging him toward an older couple. The woman's hair is long and silvery-grey, hanging over her shoulder in a delicate-looking braid, while the man's hair is short and still has some black pieces mixed in with the grey. “Uncle Eiji! Aunt Akiko!” he says exuberantly. The woman is hilariously short next to the man, and that's how Ryuu decides that she's the Nishinoya―all of the Nishinoyas, the men included, are on the shorter side from what he's seen so far.

 

The man, Eiji, instantly smiles and claps Noya on the back in greeting, while the woman, Akiko, gasps. “Yuu-chan, is that you?! You've grown up so handsome!” she gushes.

 

Noya beams, soaking in the praise. “I guess the Nishinoya genes are pretty strong in me, huh? We _are_ an attractive family,” he says with a wink, drawing a laugh from the older woman. “Anyway! This is my boyfriend, Tanaka Ryuunosuke―Ryuu, this is my aunt Akiko and my uncle Eiji! Aunt Akiko is Ma's older sister,” he says in introduction.

 

Ryuu bows. “It's very nice to meet you both,” he says in greeting, straightening up to offer a smile. “I find it hard to believe that you're older than Tsukiko-san, Akiko-san―you look like you could be her twin!” he adds, turning on the charm.

 

As expected, Akiko blushes. “Ryuunosuke-kun, please! To be honest, Tsukiko is nearly twenty years younger than I am...I'm the oldest child,” she admits, clearly a little embarrassed.

 

When Ryuu's mouth falls open in shock, it's genuine―she doesn't look nearly that old, other than the grey hair, but that can happen early for some people...though he supposes Miyako doesn't look as old as she is, either. The Nishinoyas must just age very well, he thinks.

 

“You could have fooled me, Akiko-san,” he replies seriously.

 

Eiji pulls his wife closer, a smile on his face. “No matter how old we get, I'll always find her as beautiful as she was the day we met.”

 

A giggle leaves the older woman. “Eiji, you old charmer,” she says, giving his chest a light smack before turning her attention back to Noya. “Your cousin will be here soon, he's running a little late,” she informs him.

 

Noya immediately grins. “Awesome! I haven't seen Kazuki in forever!” he exclaims. “Is he bringing his family?”

 

Eiji nods. “The kids are very excited to see 'big bro Yuu' as far as Kazuki has told us,” he answers with a grin. “Anyway, we can talk more later―I think your aunt Emiko just got here, so I'm sure you'll want to go introduce your boyfriend to her.” “

 

“I'm so happy you've finally found someone you like enough to introduce to the family, Yuu-chan,” Akiko adds, her smile turning mischievous. “I look forward to getting to know the boy who's stolen my nephew's heart,” she tacks on with a wink in Ryuu's direction, causing a hot blush to rise against his cheeks.

 

Noya grins. “Alright, well we'll go before Ryuu dies of embarrassment! I'll see you guys again in a bit!” Noya replies before dragging Ryuu off by the hand toward the front door, where new voices can be heard. As they walk, Ryuu steels himself for another introduction―it hadn't been so bad to be introduced to Tsukiko and Miyako as Noya's boyfriend, but doing it over and over to all these people that Ryuu doesn't know is kind of exhausting. It's only 2 pm, but he already kind of wants the day to be over.

 

As soon as the front door is in sight, Noya lets go of Ryuu's hand to charge for the woman who's taking her shoes off, yelling “Aunt Emi!” as he practically barrels into her.

 

“Yuu-chan!” she exclaims as she wraps her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. She's slightly taller than Noya―she's probably the tallest Nishinoya woman Ryuu has seen so far, and she has the same warm brown eyes as the rest of the family, although her hair is a lighter brown than the rest of her siblings'. “Oh my gosh, look at you! You're all grown up!” she continues, letting go so that she can stand back and examine him. “I love what you've done with your hair!”

 

He grins. “Thanks!” He backs away to grab Ryuu by the hand again, tugging him forward. “Aunt Emi, this is Tanaka Ryuunosuke, my boyfriend. Ryuu, this is my Aunt Emiko―she's like, my second mom. She took care of me a lot when I was little while Ma had to work and stuff,” he explains.

 

Emiko's smile is warm as she looks at Ryuu. “I've heard a lot about you from Tsukiko and my mother on the phone this weekend, Ryuunosuke-kun,” she begins. “They had nothing but good things to say about you.”

 

He bows, smiling back as he straightens. “I'm happy to hear that. It's very nice to meet you, Emiko-san.”

 

She laughs. “It's nice to meet you too, Ryuunosuke-kun. I'm glad to see that Yuu is finally settling down with such a nice boy, especially after all his previous failed relationships,” she says, her tone slightly teasing. Noya lets out a strangled sound of offense in response, at which point she ruffles his hair. “Hush, Yuu, there's no sense in denying that you haven't had the best luck so far when it comes to relationships,” she murmurs, smoothing his hair back into place.

 

“Why does everyone feel the need to point that out?” Noya grumbles, crossing his arms.

 

Emiko laughs, patting his cheek. “Because we love you, and we want you to be happy. And it's easy to see that you're happy now that you're with Ryuunosuke-kun, so it's hard for us to contain how happy that makes us.”

 

Both Noya and Ryuu go completely red at that. “Aunt Emi, you're being embarrassing,” Noya mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

A chuckle leaves her, a good-natured smile on her face. “Alright, alright, I'll ease up. I suppose I should go see everyone else now, hmm?” She gives Noya's cheek another pat and nods at Ryuu. “I'll talk to you both again later.”

 

She disappears further into the house then, and Noya lets out a heavy sigh. “God, these reunions are always so tiring. Wanna hide in our room for a little bit?” he asks.

 

Ryuu nods quickly, glad for the offer. He's feeling more than slightly overwhelmed, and he feels like he needs to take a break before he's ready to meet anyone else.

 

When they reach the bedroom, Noya immediately slides the door shut behind him and collapses against it, letting out a long breath. “I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted already,” he mutters. “I can't wait till later when everyone starts drinking, things will get fun then,” he adds with a small grin.

 

“I never realized how big your family is,” Ryuu comments as he sinks down on the bed. “There's so many of them, I don't even remember half their names.”

 

Noya lets out a chuckle before plopping down on the bed beside him, their backs comfortably against the headboard. “We're still missing some aunts, uncles and cousins. A _lot_ of cousins, actually―though I suppose that's inevitable when you have seven aunts and uncles and most of them have like three or four kids each,” he muses, and Ryuu feels the weight of Noya's head falling to rest on his shoulder. “Some of them have more than that, even―my Uncle Masahiko has like, nine kids I think, but he's been married like four times and had kids with all of his wives so that's not really surprising. Aunt Akiko only has one even though she wanted more...she couldn't have any after my cousin Kazuki because of complications and shit, at least that's what Ma told me. She was a foster mom for a while, though. And then Aunt Emi is the only one out of all of them who doesn't have any kids of her own. That always kinda made her the designated babysitter for everyone else's kids.”

 

“Why didn't she ever have kids?” Ryuu questions, glancing down to meet Noya's eyes.

 

Noya shrugs. “She never felt like settling down with anyone, I guess. She's been in relationships before but I don't think any of them ever made her happy, y'know? And all of her siblings had so many kids that I don't think she felt like she needed any of her own since she was always taking care of everyone else's kids. I think she's happy living this way, and that's all that really matters isn't it?”

 

Ryuu hums. “That's pretty cool. Hey, why didn't your mom ever have any more kids? It's weird that she just has you when most of her other siblings have at least three kids...”

 

Noya sighs. “Well, after my 'father' left with no explanation, she never really met anyone else she liked enough to have a kid with I guess? And she had me at such a young age that she probably had her hands full enough trying to balance raising me and finishing school and shit. I actually lived with Aunt Emi for a little while when I was a kid while Ma traveled for the job she had at the time. By the time things settled down enough for her to even consider having another kid, I was already eight years old and she probably figured I was enough for her, I don't know. I don't mind being an only child, though. I have enough family as it is so I never felt like I needed siblings. I _do_ kind of envy you sometimes for having such a cool sister, though,” he says with a laugh.

 

“If you like her so much, you can have her,” Ryuu jokes. “Nah, but I guess she is kinda cool sometimes. But she loves you like a little brother, though, you know that right?”

 

Noya nods, tilting his face up to smile at Ryuu. “I'm glad. She's like the cool older sister I never had, and I appreciate that.”

 

Ryuu smiles back before noticing that Noya's hair is sticking up in one spot, which probably happened when he first laid his head on Ryuu's shoulder. Reaching up, he brushes it back into place with his fingers, not noticing the light dusting of red on Noya's cheeks as he does so. “Your hair was sticking up a little,” he explains as he pulls his hand away.

 

A small hand catches his wrist, and it's at this point that he notices Noya's red face. “Ryuu...can you keep touching my hair? It felt...really nice.” His voice is uncharacteristically quiet and embarrassed, and Ryuu feels his own face heat up as he hesitantly slides his fingers back into his best friend's hair, the hand on his wrist disappearing as Noya lets go of him. Slowly, he cards his fingers through the soft strands over and over again, and Noya lets his eyes fall shut in satisfaction.

 

_Why do I feel so nervous?_ Ryuu asks himself as he swallows hard, chewing on the inside of his lower lip.  _I'm only touching his hair..._

 

_It would be so easy to lean down and kiss him right now..._ he thinks dazedly as he looks down at Noya's slightly parted lips.  _Would he let me? Would he...kiss me back?_

 

Thankfully there's a knock on the door at that instant―he might've done something he'd regret if there wasn't.

 

His hand still moving through Noya's hair, he calls out for whoever it is at the door to come in. The door slides open, revealing a slightly-disheveled Tsukiko.

 

“Ah, I finally found you two!” she exclaims, causing Noya's eyes to open. Ryuu chooses this moment to let his hand fall from Noya's hair. “What are you two doing hiding out in here?”

 

“Talking to everyone is exhausting, Ma,” Noya sighs, sitting up straight, and Ryuu instantly misses the weight of his head on his shoulder. “We just needed a little break.”

 

She shakes her head in amusement. “Well I hate to bother you, but Kazuki and his family just got here and the kids are asking for you, Yuu. Also, Ryuu-kun, do you mind if I borrow you for a little bit? I could use your help in the kitchen.”

 

“I'd be happy to help, Tsukiko-san,” he says immediately, standing up and straightening his clothes. He offers a hand to Noya to help him up, feeling the smaller hand he's already held for most of the day grasp his own as he slides off the bed to stand next to him.

 

Giving himself a little shake, Noya squares his shoulders. “Wish me luck, those kids are hyper as hell,” he mumbles.

 

Trying to keep his nervousness from showing, Ryuu smiles and leans down to press a kiss to his temple, giving him a quick side hug. “Good luck.”

 

Noya blinks in surprise, but quickly recovers and stretches up onto the tips of his toes to kiss Ryuu's cheek. “Thanks, Ryuu,” he says before hurrying out of the room.

 

“You two are so precious,” Tsukiko comments as they walk to the kitchen together, smiling brightly up at Ryuu. “I've never seen him so openly affectionate with anyone else before. It makes me happy to see him so in love with someone, you know? I'm glad he has that.” She rests a hand on his shoulder, looking a little misty-eyed. “Thank you for loving my son, Ryuu-kun.”

 

“Ah, Tsukiko-san, you don't have to thank me,” he replies, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

 

“I know, I'm sorry if I'm being embarrassing, I just...” She pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful. “To be perfectly honest, Ryuu-kun, I'd always kind of hoped you two would end up together, especially considering how big of a crush he had on you in high school and all. I'm so happy that it all worked out in the end.”

 

Ryuu can't help it―he freezes right in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide. “He had...what?” is all he manages to say, unable to actually repeat what she'd just said. He heard her wrong, he must've...there's no way she actually just said that...

 

She gasps, covering her mouth with one hand. “Oh  _no_ , did he not tell you that he had a crush on you in high school? He used to whine about it to me all the time...oh dear, I figured he would've told you that. He'd probably be embarrassed if he found out you knew since he didn't tell you himself, so please don't tell him I told you?”

 

Ryuu swallows hard, trying to process this new information. “Don't worry Tsukiko-san...I won't say anything,” he assures her, biting the inside of his cheek.

 

_He liked me in high school,_ he thinks as they continue down the hall.  _There was a point in time when we both liked each other and I could've fucking done something about it if I wasn't so scared._

 

A wave of self-loathing and regret washes over him, and he suddenly wishes Saeko were there so he could talk to her about it. He supposes he can try to call or text her about it if he gets a chance to sneak away on his own at some point, but until then...all he can do is stew over it in silence and try not to hate himself too much for missing his chance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> will i ever stop torturing ryuu? poor guy cant catch a break tbh
> 
> the next chapter is gonna be SUPER long like its the longest chapter yet so prepare urselves for that \o/ i'll try to get it up by the weekend but i make no promises :')
> 
> im sure yall know the drill by now, but as always u can feel free to tell me ur thoughts in the comments section or on my [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com) bc i love hearing what u guys have to say!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM BACK AND READY TO PUBLISH THE SIN
> 
> so idk if yall noticed but in case u didn't, i've now marked that this fic will have 13 chapters!! i know this bc im currently writing chapter 12 and i know there will only be one more after that :') so yall have 4 more chapters after this one to look forward to!!
> 
> anyway i hope u all enjoy what my sinful hands have done

Ryuu mostly spends the next few hours in the kitchen with Tsukiko, helping her prepare a veritable feast for supper. They're making an almost absurd amount of food, but when he remembers how many people are there, he realizes it's necessary.

 

Noya pops into the kitchen a few times, mostly to steal food which earns him a scolding from Tsukiko, but also to just hang out and kind of escape everything. Ryuu is doing his absolute best to not think about what he'd learned from Tsukiko―he doesn't want to act weird and end up making her suspicious _or_ make her feel like she's made things weird between him and Noya. He _also_ doesn't want Noya to think he's acting weird. He ends up acting even more affectionate than usual to hide his inner turmoil, which earns him an almost concerned look from Noya.

 

It makes him worry that he's going too far, so he excuses himself from the kitchen for a moment, pulling Noya from his seat and dragging him into the hallway.

 

“Is it too much?” he asks immediately, his voice hushed so that Tsukiko doesn't hear.

 

Looking almost hesitant, Noya shakes his head. “No, it's fine, it's just...what's gotten into you, Ryuu? You're being so openly affectionate today...did something happen? Are they onto us?” His eyes are wide as he asks, and he starts to look almost panicked.

 

Ryuu quickly shakes his head. “No, no, that's not it...I promise.” His eyes shut as he tries to block out the echoes of both Tsukiko and Miyako's words. “I just...wanna be as convincing as possible. There's so many people here, and what we've been doing might have been enough to convince your mom and your grandmother, but...I just wanna make sure everyone else believes us, too, and I don't know if what we've been doing is enough.” It's total bullshit, of course, but it's the only excuse he can think of.

 

“Oh.” Noya looks thoughtful for a moment before grinning. “That makes sense. Okay, I'm good with that, then. I'll step my game up too.”

 

_Oh no,_ Ryuu silently despairs, although he's grinning outwardly. “Let's get back to the kitchen then.”

 

When they walk back in, Tsukiko has a knowing smile on her face. “Alright, now that you two have sneaked off to smooch, I need my helper back.” They both go bright red, at which point Tsukiko laughs. “Yuu, take this tea out to your uncle Akihiko.”

 

Noya nods, holding a hand out to take the teacup from his mother. He then stands on the tips of his toes and purses his lips, and Ryuu realizes that he's asking for a kiss. Not even giving himself the time to overthink it, Ryuu takes him by the chin and leans down to place a soft kiss on the tip of his nose before pressing their lips together, watching as Noya's entire face reddens.

 

“I'll, uh...I'll come back in a bit to help carry the food out, just text me when it's done,” Noya promises, speaking quickly in his embarrassment before leaving to take his uncle the tea.

 

When Ryuu turns to face Tsukiko, she's grinning like the cat who got the canary. Embarrassed, he covers his face and groans into his hand, earning him a laugh. “Please don't say anything, Tsukiko-san,” he mumbles.

 

She laughs again. “You're precious, Ryuu-kun. I've never seen Yuu get so embarrassed over something so small before―I think you're rubbing off on him.”

 

He lets out another groan. “Why is everything so embarrassing?” he whines.

 

Her smile turns soft. “That's what it is to be young and in love, Ryuu-kun. It's embarrassing and confusing. It's shaky hands and red cheeks and stuttered words but somehow it's one of the best feelings in the entire world. Treasure it, hmm? Because it won't be like this forever―not that I'm saying that what follows is bad or anything, but there's just something special about young relationships.” There's a nostalgic, bittersweet look in her eyes, and she quickly shakes her head. “Anyway, I've rambled enough. Let's get this food cooked, and then I'll stop stealing you away from Yuu. I'm sure you'd rather be with him, wouldn't you?” she asks with a wink.

 

He scoffs, smiling even though his face is still a little hot with embarrassment. “You know I don't mind helping you, Tsukiko-san.”

 

“I know you don't, because you're a sweet boy, but it's rude of me to be asking you to help me when you're my guest. After today, you and Yuu are free to spend the rest of your days in Kyoto as you please, alright? Don't let me ask you to help with anything else.”

 

“I make no promises,” he grins, turning back to the meat he's cooking. He sees Tsukiko shake her head in resignation out of the corner of his eye, and he suddenly feels like he's part of the family.

 

But he reminds himself that it's an illusion―it's a lie he and Noya have created together. He'll never truly have a place in this family, and for some reason, that makes him feel worse than anything else has.

 

* * *

 

By the time it starts getting dark, most of the people there start to head back to their hotels―mainly the people with young children, but also a couple of Noya's aunts and uncles. The ones who do stay have already started pulling out the liquor, and Ryuu takes the cup that's offered to him by one of Noya's enthusiastic cousins. Noya's already drinking, too, surrounded by some of his cousins who are around his age. When he spots Ryuu, he waves him over, a grin so bright on his face that Ryuu almost feels as if he's staring at the sun. He supposes it's fitting―Noya's always been like the center of his own little galaxy. People tend to just naturally gravitate toward him.

 

As soon as Ryuu reaches him, Noya pulls him close to his side and nuzzles his shoulder. “I was wondering where you were,” he tells him, looking up at him with warm brown eyes that reflect the light of the bonfire.

 

Ryuu takes a sip of his drink before answering, trying not to wince at how strong it is. The Nishinoyas apparently don't fuck around with their liquor. “I was helping Tsukiko-san clean the kitchen,” he explains, settling a hand on Noya's trim waist. “I didn't wanna leave her all alone with a huge mess.”

 

“Your boyfriend is such a sweet guy, Yuu,” one of Noya's cousins sighs dreamily. She's a pretty girl―her hair is long and dyed red, and the Nishinoya genes seemed to have skipped her since she's only a few inches shorter than Ryuu himself. “It makes me jealous.”

 

Noya snorts, reaching up to pat Ryuu's chest. “He may not look like it, but he's a perfect gentleman,” he brags. “He's the whole package, really―he's sweet, he's funny, and of course he's hot, I mean look at him. And did I tell you guys that he was once the ace of our volleyball team?”

 

This is met by impressed looks and even a few 'ooh's, and Ryuu lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Yuu, please...” He really doesn't mind the praise, though―hearing Noya brag about him to his family fills him with a sense of giddiness. Not to mention the part where Noya called him hot...

 

“Oh, and he's adorable too,” Noya adds, grinning.

 

Ryuu takes another drink to try and distract himself from how hot his cheeks are, causing Noya's cousins to laugh. “So how long have you guys been together, anyway?” another cousin asks. Ryuu thinks his name might be Hikaru? He vaguely remembers their introduction.

 

“Eight months,” Ryuu says at the same time that Noya says “Five months.” They both blink, looking at each other with wide eyes.

 

Ryuu is pretty sure they probably should've talked about this first.

 

“We've been friends for so long that sometimes I forget that it hasn't really been that long since we started dating,” Ryuu explains, hoping it's believable enough. He feels Noya's arm tighten around him. “I guess it just feels like forever,” he adds, smiling down at Noya. His heart is pounding, but he thinks he's being pretty convincing.

 

“Ryuu...” Noya whispers, reaching up to grab him by the neck and pull him down for the softest of kisses. Ryuu rubs their noses together before pulling away, his heart feeling as if it might beat right out of his chest.

 

One of Noya's other cousins nudges Ryuu's arm, a grin on his face. “Nice save, man,” he says quietly, nudging him again.

 

Noya snorts, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, Nobu.”

 

Nobu's sister Hoshi, whose name Ryuu miraculously remembers, elbows him in the ribs. “Leave them alone, Nobu.” She turns her gaze to Ryuu, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Don't mind him, he's just jealous because he hasn't had even one date in the past year.”

 

“Nee-chan, that's just cold,” Nobu mutters, sulkily taking a drink from the cup in his hand.

 

Ryuu finishes the drink in his hand, which Noya immediately notices. “We're gonna go get another drink,” he announces before pulling Ryuu into the house and heading toward the kitchen. It's empty when they get there, and Noya lets him go with a sigh. “You holding up okay? I know my family can be a little overwhelming.”

 

Ryuu shrugs. “It's not that bad. We really should've figured out what we were gonna say if we were asked about how long we've been dating beforehand, though...that was close,” he replies, shuddering.

 

“It really was a nice save,” Noya tells him with a laugh as he fills their glasses with some kind of juice and clear liquid that Ryuu suspects is vodka. “I'm impressed.”

 

Ryuu takes the drink that's handed to him, taking a hesitant sip. It's much better than whatever Noya's cousin had given him before―it's probably just as strong, but it's subtle this time. “I do my best,” he answers with a shrug. “That kiss you gave me after that was...pretty convincing. We're pretty good at this, eh?” He tries to keep his nerves out of his laugh, trying to seem as casual as possible so that he doesn't come across as weird.

 

“We make a good team,” Noya agrees, grinning. “Or should I say, a good _couple_ ,” he amends with a wink.

 

Ryuu takes another gulp of his drink before nodding. “Definitely.” He deserves an award for acting so calm, he thinks.

 

Noya smiles and takes him by the hand. “Let's head back out before people get the wrong idea,” he jokes, tugging Ryuu out of the kitchen and back toward the backyard. Ryuu nearly chokes on his drink at Noya's words, trying desperately not to think about what that “wrong idea” might be.

 

* * *

 

They end up getting separated as the night goes on―Noya is stolen away by his uncle Akihiko to listen to his latest exploits as a pilot, while Ryuu is surrounded by Noya's cousins once more, who insist on filling his cup every time he empties it. As a result, he's most definitely drunk, although he's sure that everyone else there is in the same boat.

 

“Ryuu-kun, I wish I had a boyfriend like you,” Noya's cousin Akira slurs, leaning her head on his shoulder.

 

“Me too,” her sister Kazue whines, her head falling to rest on his other shoulder. “You're like...the ideal boyfriend material, Ryuu-kun. Yuu is so lucky...”

 

Ryuu sets his drink down to pat their heads. “You two are just...so great,” he tells them, hiccuping a little. “I know you'll both find great guys someday...but don't fuckin'...don't just settle for any old guy, okay? Because you're both great. I'll beat up anyone who doesn't think so.”

 

“Ryuu-kun!” they exclaim in unison, both turning to hug him.

 

Noya's red-haired cousin whose name, Ryuu learns, is Mari, plops down unsteadily on a chair directly across from Ryuu, taking a gulp of whatever is in her cup. “I think that...Ryuu-kun is like...one of a kind,” she slurs, some of her drink sloshing out of her cup when she gestures toward him. “Of course Yuu had to be the one to...snatch him up...lucky bastard, shit,” she mumbles, slumping forward in her chair.

 

Eyes wide, Ryuu immediately stands, wavering a little before fully gaining his balance. He moves closer to her, gently taking the cup from her hand and setting it aside. “Mari-san...I think you need some water.” When he struggles to get the sentence out normally, he realizes he should probably drink some water, too.

 

“Mm...yeah, that's probably...for the best,” she replies, giving him a thumbs up before heaving herself up out of her chair. She starts to tilt but Ryuu steadies her with a hand on her shoulder, which earns a giggle.

 

He helps her inside, focusing hard on every move he makes so that he doesn't end up falling over and pulling her with him, and they manage to make it to the kitchen in one piece. He props her up against a wall before grabbing two plastic cups and filling them with water, handing her one before taking several gulps from his own. He knows his limits, so he knows that he's done for the night. It's nearly midnight, anyway, it's probably best for him to stop drinking now.

 

He drains his cup, gulping it all down thirstily, and hastily refills it. Mari sips hers much more slowly, looking as if she's having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

 

Luckily Tsukiko walks in at that moment. Ryuu immediately walks over to her, trying to seem a little more sober than he is. “Hey, uh, Tsukiko-san...is there somewhere she can lay down?” he asks.

 

Tsukiko sighs. “Oh Mari-chan,” she sighs, shaking her head. Her voice lowers. “Her boyfriend just broke up with her a couple days ago so that's probably why she drank so much. Take her to the bedroom beside mine, she can stay here tonight.”

 

Ryuu nods, walking back over to where Mari is leaning against the wall, taking her almost-empty cup and refilling it before gently wrapping an arm around her and pulling her out of the kitchen. She stumbles along silently, allowing her head to loll onto his shoulder, and he feels a twinge of pity. She must be really torn up over her breakup to get this drunk...

 

They reach the designated bedroom, and Ryuu sets her glass of water on the nightstand before pulling back the covers and gently helping her into bed, pulling the covers up to her neck. “Do you...need anything before I leave?” he asks, brow furrowed with concern.

 

“Hmm...no, I'm...good,” she hums, eyes closing as she rubs her face against the pillow. “Thanks for...helping me into bed, Ryuu-kun...Yuu's super lucky to...have you...” she mumbles before a light snore leaves her. Ryuu is kind of amazed that she fell asleep so quickly.

 

Making sure her water is within reach, he adjusts the blanket over her one last time before turning and walking out as quietly as possible. He stumbles a little despite his best efforts, nearly hitting the doorframe, but he thankfully makes it out without waking her. He slides the door shut behind him and heads back to the kitchen, finding Tsukiko waiting.

 

“I'm going to start driving people to their hotels,” she tells him with a smile. “Thank you for looking out for Mari-chan.”

 

He waves a hand dismissively. “I just...didn't want her to fall and hurt herself...or something.” He shakes his head. “Anyway, it's fine, Tsukiko-san. Drive safely.”

 

She lets out a quiet laugh, patting his cheek before heading toward the door. “You and Yuu should get to bed soon, you've both had a long day,” she says before heading out, leaving him alone in the kitchen. He finishes his water more slowly this time, taking a deep breath. His head is starting to feel a little less cloudy and his vision is a little more focused, which he supposes is a good thing.

 

He heads back out to the yard, finding a few of Noya's cousins missing. He figures they must've gone with Tsukiko, so he simply shrugs.

 

Before he can get too far, he's intercepted by Noya, who grabs him by the arm and drags him back into the house. “Noya...?” he questions as he's pulled toward their bedroom. “Shouldn't we stay with everyone else?”

 

“Grams is with them,” he says curtly, sliding the door of their bedroom open.

 

“Is something wro―” He can't even finish his sentence before the door slides shut and Noya pins him against it, dragging him down to his level to crush their lips together. The words fizzle and die on his lips, basically forgotten already, and Ryuu's knees nearly give out when he feels a tongue against the seam of his lips. Confused but not complaining, he opens his mouth to the insistent tongue, a breathy moan escaping him when it touches his own tongue. Noya tastes like alcohol, but Ryuu supposes he does as well so it doesn't really matter.

 

“I can't stand it,” Noya mutters into the kiss, sliding his hands up under Ryuu's tank top and running them along his quivering abs. “I can't stand watching them fucking... _drape_ themselves over you.”

 

Heat flashes through Ryuu. “Fuck, Noya, are you _jealous_?” he asks, groaning when the shorter boy nips at his lower lip, tugging on it before soothing it with his tongue.

 

Noya pulls back, eyes dark, and Ryuu swallows hard. “You disappeared with Mari,” he says in a heated tone. “You were gone for so long that I thought―”

 

This time Ryuu is the one to cut him off with a kiss, backing him up until his legs hit the edge of the bed. They fall together, Ryuu doing his best to avoid crushing Noya beneath him, their lips and tongues moving together in a frenzy.

 

“I don't know why you're jealous, we're not even together,” Ryuu mumbles as he plants kisses down Noya's jawline, kissing his adam's apple when it bobs furiously. He knows he should stop―they've both been drinking, and he doesn't even really know why this is happening, but he just can't stop himself. He feels like he's been starving up until now or something.

 

“It doesn't _matter_ ,” Noya replies in a frustrated tone as he flips them. “I don't―” A sound of annoyance escapes him, and he ducks down to suck a mark into Ryuu's neck. The taller man gasps, scratching at the tiny hairs on the back of Noya's head as he accidentally bucks his hips up. “I don't want to watch anyone else throw themselves at you,” he finally breathes, pressing a kiss to the reddening patch of skin on Ryuu's neck before sliding his hands beneath his tank top once more and tugging it up over Ryuu's head, tossing it onto the floor.

 

“Fuck,” Ryuu whispers as small, warm hands slide up and down his chest and abdomen, palms rubbing his skin firmly and fingers toying with the ring in his bellybutton. “Noya...”

 

“ _No_ ,” Noya nearly growls, nipping at the skin of his neck once more. “Don't just call me Yuu when there's other people around, Ryuu. I want you to call me Yuu right now, too, when it's just you and me,” he says hotly, and Ryuu can feel the shape of each word against his neck―it makes his jeans feel uncomfortably tight, and he suddenly wants nothing more than to kick them off. He's sure Noya can feel how hard he is from where he's sitting on Ryuu's hips, and Ryuu would be incredibly embarrassed if he wasn't so completely turned on.

 

“ _Yuu_.” The name leaves his mouth in a strangled gasp as fingers dance along the edge of his jeans.

 

“What do you want, Ryuu?” he asks, toying with the belt loops on Ryuu's jeans. “I'll give you anything you want...just tell me...”

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Ryuu breathes, pushing himself into a sitting position and gripping Noya's hips, grinding up against him and drawing a startled moan from the shorter man. “ _Fuck_ , Yuu, I want _you_ ,” he gasps. Saying it gives him a rush of adrenaline, and he can't help but kiss Noya again after he tugs at his shirt until it's off.

 

“I want you too, _shit_ , you're so fucking hot, Ryuu,” Noya groans into his mouth, one hand tangling in unruly blue hair while the other rubs at Ryuu's muscled chest, drawing a low moan from him when it drags over his nipple. Noya's hips buck into Ryuu's abdomen when the taller man's hands rest over his clothed ass and squeeze, a string of expletives leaving him as he throws his head back and pushes Ryuu's face into his collarbone.

 

Ryuu busies himself by sucking patches of skin along Noya's collarbone and up into the crook of his shoulder, and Noya does nothing but pant and clutch at Ryuu's hair like a lifeline. Against his abdomen, Ryuu can feel how hard his dick is against him―a heady rush goes through him, knowing that he's the reason for it.

 

“What do you want to do?” he asks, kissing his way up to Noya's ear and tugging on the earring in his lobe with his teeth.

 

“ _Shit_ , I don't _care_ , just fucking touch me,” Noya replies in a breathy tone, dragging Ryuu's lips back to his own. A whine leaves him when Ryuu's hands slip under the hem of his jeans, digging into the soft skin of his ass and pulling him as close as possible. “Fuck, Ryuu, let me get my pants off,” he protests, nipping at Ryuu's lower lip again before sliding off of him and standing. His eyes are dark and half-lidded, locked onto Ryuu's as he runs his hands over his own abdomen before slipping down to toy with the button on the front of his jeans. A pretty flush is coloring his pale cheeks, and his lips are already slightly swollen from all the kissing they've done―Noya is altogether gorgeous right now and Ryuu can do nothing but watch him, mouth gone dry, completely mesmerized by the show he's putting on. For _him_.

 

There's something _really_ overwhelming about that.

 

Without even really thinking about it, he finds himself palming at the front of his jeans. He can't help it―he needs something, _anything_ , to relieve some of the pressure building within him before he goes insane. He sees Noya's eyes flick downward before meeting his own, his tongue slipping out to wet his lips as he finally pops the button of his jeans open. Surprisingly coordinated for someone who's been drinking all night, he slides them down his legs before stepping out of them, kicking them off to the side. All that's left on his body is a pair of burgundy boxer-briefs, stretched tight around his dick, and Ryuu can't help the quiet groan that escapes his mouth at the sight.

 

Noya stalks up to the edge of the bed where Ryuu sits, watching with rapt attention, and slides his hands into his hair to pull him closer. Ryuu immediately begins to kiss all over his torso, eyes half-mast as he stares up at Noya's face to see his reactions. He's meeting Ryuu's gaze, mouth slightly open, and his fingers tighten in Ryuu's hair when the taller man begins to leave small bites here and there.

 

“Ryuu...more,” he pants, tugging his hair insistently.

 

Pulling away, Ryuu crawls further onto the bed to make room for Noya, taking his hand and pulling him onto the bed. Noya allows him to push him down against the pillows, and Ryuu kisses him just in time to muffle the obscene moan that leaves his mouth when Ryuu's palms him through his boxers.

 

“Not so loud,” Ryuu breathes, catching Noya's lower lip between his teeth. “There's still people here.”

 

“I don't care,” Noya moans, blunt nails raking up Ryuu's back when the taller man begins to kiss his way lower.

 

Ryuu can't help the aroused shudder that goes through him at that, and he hastily continues his descent until his face is right in front of Noya's dick. There's a thin trail of dark hair under his bellybutton that disappears beneath the fabric of his boxer-briefs, and Ryuu follows it with his lips before skipping down to Noya's thighs, earning a frustrated whine as the shorter man bucks his hips. That whine quickly morphs into a breathy moan as Ryuu begins sucking marks into his muscular thighs, whispered curses leaving his mouth in response to the attention being paid to the sensitive skin of his inner thighs.

 

Finally deciding he's made him wait long enough, Ryuu begins mouthing at his straining dick, finding a wet spot already in the fabric. “Yuu, tell me what you want,” he rasps, lips moving along the shape of him. He knows he's being an asshole, but he wants to hear those words leave Noya's lips.

 

“Ryuu, please,” Noya nearly sobs, clutching the headboard for dear life with one hand while the other tangles in Ryuu's hair again. He's pretty sure his hair is a disaster at this point, but he can't really bring himself to care when he considers the reason why.

 

Ryuu's fingers tease along the elastic waistband of his boxer-briefs. “I wanna hear you say it.”

 

“ _Fuck_ , Ryuu, suck my dick,” he groans.

 

Not wasting another second, Ryuu tugs at the last bit of fabric covering Noya, sliding it down his legs and throwing it across the room.

 

_Holy fuck he's naked._ It's an obvious thing, but he's so overcome that he has to pause for a moment to take it all in. The moonlight shining in through the window makes Noya look paler than he is, casting dramatic shadows all over him.

 

Ryuu thinks he looks beautiful like this, naked and panting in the moonlight.

 

“What are you waiting for?” Noya asks impatiently, nudging him.

 

“You're beautiful,” Ryuu blurts out.

 

Ryuu hears Noya's breath catch as he sucks his lower lip into his mouth and chews on it, clearly embarrassed. Feeling embarrassment creep up on him as well, he hastily ducks his head to lick a stripe up Noya's dick in an effort to distract them both.

 

It works―the loudest moan yet leaves Noya's mouth, hands gripping Ryuu's hair tightly as he sucks the tip into his mouth. Noya's back arches, legs wrapping around Ryuu's torso when he slowly begins sliding down the shaft until the tip hits the back of his throat before sliding back up and repeating. It reduces Noya to a babbling mess, especially when Ryuu makes sure to pay special attention to how the little ball on his tongue rubs against him.

 

“Fuck, _Ryuu_ , your tongue ring, holy _fuck_ ,” he sobs, heels digging into Ryuu's back as he thrashes his head from side to side. Ryuu can't help the self-satisfied smirk that pulls at his lips as he bobs his head more, rubbing the dips of Noya's hipbones with his thumbs.

 

Ryuu slides his mouth off when he feels another tug on his hair, half-lidded eyes falling shut when Noya drags him up to kiss him again. “Take your pants off,” he mumbles into Ryuu's mouth.

 

Eager to do just that, Ryuu rolls to the side and unbuttons his jeans, shimmying them down his legs and kicking them off. Before he can do anything else, Noya's hand is slipping under the elastic band of his boxers and grasping his dick, a strangled sound leaving his throat as he nearly chokes on his tongue. Sloppy kisses are pressed along the length of his neck as Noya pumps him, thumbing at the tip occasionally and drawing needy sounds from the taller man.

 

“Look at you, Ryuu,” Noya practically purrs in his ear as his hand continues sliding along his dick. “You fall apart the second I start touching you...I'm sure you like taking the lead, but I think you like this a lot too, don't you?”

 

“Fuck, _Yuu_ ,” he gasps, biting the inside of his lip and pushing his head back into the pillow, eyes squeezed shut. He's afraid he might lose it if he looks at Noya right now...

 

“I've always wondered what it would be like...to do this with you,” Noya breathes, the heat of his breath making goosebumps rise on Ryuu's skin.

 

Ryuu feels dizzy―Noya had gotten the upper hand so _easily_ , and the taller man isn't quite sure how it had even happened.

 

“Have you wondered about it too, Ryuu? Have you thought about what it would feel like to touch each other like this?” he continues in that same breathy whisper, his hand leaving Ryuu's dick to trail up his abs and chest, fingers spread wide. It tickles, but mostly it drives Ryuu crazy―his brain is so fried that he can't even decide what he wants Noya to do at this point. He thinks that as long as Noya's hands are on his body, then anything is fine.

 

“Yes,” he finally groans, unable to stop the word from tumbling out of his mouth. “God, Yuu, I've tried so hard not to but sometimes I just can't _help_ it oh fuck Yuu I've wanted it so bad.” He needs to stop, he shouldn't say any more...he's already said too much...

 

Luckily Noya kisses him again, cutting off anything further, and Ryuu throws himself wholeheartedly into that kiss. He lets out a startled moan that's muffled by Noya's mouth as the shorter man climbs on top of him, tugging his boxers down more so that their bare dicks touch. When Noya's small hand grasps both of them together, Ryuu accidentally bucks his hips so hard that he nearly throws Noya off of him.

 

“You have no idea how hot you are right now,” Noya tells him as he breaks their kiss momentarily, sitting up and panting as he continues sliding his hand along their dicks. “I thought I had a good imagination but...fuck, it's nothing compared to the real thing...”

 

Shuddering with want, Ryuu drags him back down for another kiss, plunging his tongue into Noya's mouth. He's getting so close―just a little more...

 

He's surprised when Noya comes first, tearing his mouth away and throwing his head back. He's surprisingly quiet, only puffs of air escaping his open mouth, and his eyes are tightly shut, his hands falling to grip the sheets beside him as he rides it out. The sight is too much for Ryuu―with a loud curse that he thankfully manages to muffle by shoving his face sideways into the pillow, he spills over himself, chest heaving with labored breaths.

 

Without warning, Noya plops down on top of him bonelessly, nuzzling his soft hair into the crook of Ryuu's neck. Head fuzzy from his orgasm as well as the lingering drunkenness, Ryuu wraps his arms around him and plants a soft kiss on the crown of his head, fingers tracing random patterns on his back. They're both sweaty and sticking together as a result, but it's a very minor inconvenience at most.

 

Ryuu somehow manages to pull the blankets over their naked body before passing out, Noya already snoring into his chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM LITERALLY SO EMBARRASSED IM SORRY IF ANYTHING IS WEIRD IM ACE AS FUCK AND I DONT HAVE A DICK SO YEAH I JUST WINGED EVERYTHING I HATE MY LIFE I CAN NEVER SHOW MY FACE AGAIN
> 
> anyway if yall feel like letting me know ur thoughts, as always u can do so here or on [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com)!! i'd love to hear ur predictions for whats gonna happen next :0
> 
> im gonna go now before i die of embarrassment :')


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THE COMMENTS ON CHAPTER 9!! im sorry i didn't reply to very many, but i promise i read them all and they all made me smile a lot!! you guys are honestly the best like wow i love u all
> 
> anyway, before u read: im sorry

Ryuu wakes up with a slight headache the next morning. It's enough to bother him but not enough to keep him from functioning, which is why he's able to (albeit still reluctantly) drag himself out from under the covers.

 

It's at this point that he realizes he's not wearing any clothes.

 

_Oh no._

 

Last night, he and Noya...they...

 

Eyes wide, Ryuu can think of only one thing―he needs to talk to Saeko. _Now_.

 

Noya isn't in the room, which is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Grabbing his phone off the nightstand, Ryuu curses when he sees that it's dead―he'd forgotten to plug it in the night before. Muttering under his breath, he plugs it in while yanking on a pair of boxers and sweats, resisting the urge to cry when he remembers that his phone takes a few minutes to boot up after dying.

 

Raking a hand through his hair, Ryuu heads to the bathroom. He figures he might as well pee and brush his teeth while he waits for his phone to turn on. As soon as he sees his reflection in the bathroom mirror, however, he goes pale.

 

His neck and chest are absolutely _covered_ in hickeys.

 

He's not sure how his day can get any worse at this point, which is saying something since he's pretty sure it's not even noon yet.

 

After finishing up in the bathroom, he runs back to the room he shares with Noya before anyone can see him. He has no idea how he's going to cover up all of the hickeys―if he was at home, he could just use Saeko's makeup, but he doesn't have any of it with him. He doesn't think he has any shirts that will cover the ones on his neck, either...

 

His phone chimes to indicate that it's on, and he nearly trips in his hurry to reach it. It's when he's dialing his sister's phone number that he realizes that his hands are shaking. Taking a few deep breaths in an effort to calm himself, he hits talk and lifts the phone to his ear, listening as it immediately lets him know that her phone is busy.

 

“Fuck, not now, who are you talking to?” he mumbles to himself as he dials the number again, only to have the same result. Frustrated, he throws his phone back onto the nightstand and sits on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his hands.

 

Against his will, he starts to think about what this means for his and Noya's friendship. He doesn't know if it can go back to normal after what happened, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't fucking terrified.

 

_I should've stopped it from happening,_ he mentally berates himself, tugging at his hair in frustration as he clenches his eyes shut.  _But I got too caught up in finally getting to do that...fuck, he was probably more drunk than I was, why the fuck couldn't I be the responsible one?_

 

With these thoughts swirling around in his head, he doesn't even hear the knocking on the bedroom door. He's so caught up in his own head that he doesn't even notice the door sliding open and someone coming in until he happens to open his eyes and see a pair of feet in fuzzy white slippers in front of him. Eyes widening, his head snaps up, and he finds Tsukiko standing in front of him with a worried look on her face.

 

“I'm sorry I just walked in, Ryuu-kun, but you didn't answer me when I knocked,” she says apologetically. There's concern in her brown eyes as she asks, “Ryuu-kun...are you alright? You're crying.”

 

Blinking in shock, he lifts a hand to his face and finds that, yes, it's wet. When had he started crying?

 

“I'm fine,” he tries to say, but the words catch and crack on the lump that's building in his throat. Covering his mouth with his hand, he squeezes his eyes shut in an effort to control himself, but when the first sob wracks through his body, he figures it's pretty useless to try and fight it.

 

“Oh dear,” Tsukiko whispers as she sets the basket of clothes she was carrying on the floor before sitting beside Ryuu on the bed and pulling him to her chest, wrapping her arms around him and rubbing her small hands up and down his back soothingly. He clutches her tightly, unable to stop the panicked tears from falling. Tsukiko hushes him gently when another sob breaks free, reaching a hand up to card through his messy hair.

 

“Tsukiko-san, I really messed up,” he chokes out, holding her even tighter. He's not sure he can look her in the eyes.

 

She hums. “I figured something happened when Yuu left the house in a hurry a little while ago. If you'd like to talk about it, I'm happy to listen...”

 

“He left...?”

 

He feels her nod. “I tried to ask where he was going in such a hurry, but he was out the door before I could finish my sentence.” The hand in his hair slows down. “Did you two have a fight?” she questions, voice soft.

 

He shakes his head. “That's not it. I...” He stops himself, biting his lip as he fights an internal battle with himself. He wants to tell her the truth, but...he doesn't want to give away the secret...

 

“If you're worried about me finding out that you two aren't actually dating, don't be. Mother figured it out yesterday morning and told me.”

 

He pulls away, eyes wide with shock. “ _What_ ?  _How_ ?”

 

A small smile appears on Tsukiko's lips. “You two should really learn to stick to one story. She asked you both who confessed and you both gave a different answer.”

 

“So last night, when you said...”

 

“About his crush on you in high school?” she questions, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, I knew when I said that. And it was the truth.” She shakes her head a little, letting out a sigh. “I figured I'd tell you that to try and help you realize a few things, but...I can see that it hasn't really helped yet. So tell me what happened, hmm? I think I get the gist of it from the look of your neck, so you can spare me the details.” She shudders a little as she says it, and if Ryuu wasn't freaking out so badly he'd probably laugh at the obvious discomfort she feels knowing that he'd slept with her son.

 

He chews on his lip for a moment, toying with the drawstrings on his sweatpants, before opening his mouth to answer. “I...I never meant for it to happen, Tsukiko-san, but...we were both drunk, and...I was weak. And now I don't think we can ever go back to normal which means I'm going to lose my best friend which is exactly what I didn't want to happen. That's why I never told him how I feel, y'know? I didn't wanna risk making things weird and losing him, but it ended up happening anyway...”

 

Tsukiko is silent for a moment, which worries Ryuu, but she sighs heavily and begins speaking again before Ryuu can say anything. “I can't believe how dense the two of you are, honestly. The two of you wouldn't know how to recognize someone else's feelings for you if they hit you in the face with a brick,” she laments.

 

His brow furrows, and he begins to wipe the slowing tears from his cheeks. “What are you talking about, Tsukiko-san?”

 

She sighs again and shakes her head. “It's nothing, I've already said too much. Now, Ryuu-kun, I want you to listen to me and  _really_ hear what I'm saying, okay?” At his hesitant nod, she continues. “I need you to tell my son as plainly as possible that you love him. And before you try and protest, because I know you will, I promise you that there's nothing to be afraid of. You aren't going to lose him if he knows, and not saying anything is clearly doing more harm than good.” She looks like she wants to say more, but she doesn't.

 

“But I've probably already lost him,” he argues, raking a hand through his hair again―it's a nervous habit of his. “I don't see how telling him how I feel can possibly make anything better at this point...”

 

Tsukiko buries her face in her hands, a frustrated sound leaving her. “You two are going to make my hair go grey. You're both so in denial that I'd feel bad if it wasn't so frustrating to watch,” she mutters, dragging her hands down her face as she straightens back up and takes a deep breath. “Ryuu-kun, if you already feel like you have nothing else to lose, then what exactly is the harm in telling him?”

 

He opens his mouth to argue again, but no words come out when he realizes that she's right. What  _does_ he have to lose by telling him at this point? It can't get any worse. And if he does lose Noya for good, well...he at least wants him to know how he feels about him.

 

“By the look on your face I can see that you've realized that I'm right,” Tsukiko observes proudly, wrapping an arm around him once more and pulling him to her side. “It's going to be alright, Ryuu-kun. Why don't you get showered and cleaned up while I try to figure out where my son went?”

 

Taking a deep breath, he nods and pulls away, watching as she stands. “Thank you, Tsukiko-san,” he says sincerely. He doesn't know if he's thanking her for comforting him or if he's thanking her for kicking his ass into gear, but he's grateful either way.

 

She smiles, reaching out and lightly pinching his cheek. “You don't need to thank me for anything. I consider you my to be just as much my son as Yuu is, Ryuu-kun,” she tells him, eyes soft. “I want my boys to be happy, that's all.”

 

Overcome with emotion, he stands and hugs her again. Hearing that she thinks of him like a son just...it makes him feel warm. His own mother has never really been openly affectionate, in fact neither of his parents really are, so for a long time, he basically only had his sister. Their parents travel a lot for their jobs, so it had pretty much always just been the two of them together, taking care of each other. But Saeko could never actually be a parent to him, so having Tsukiko is...really nice.

 

And he's probably going to lose her now, too.

 

“Try not to worry so much, okay? You're too young for wrinkles,” she says in a teasing tone, giving him one last squeeze before letting him go and leaving the room, sliding the door shut behind her.

 

Letting out a long sigh, Ryuu begins to rummage through his suitcase. He pulls out his light denim collared shirt and a white undershirt as well as his red jeans, grabbing a new pair of boxers before heading to the bathroom for his shower. He's so out of it that he forgets to put on his shower cap before stepping under the spray, causing him to sigh as he's forced to try and wash himself while keeping his hair away from the water. When he does wash his hair, he does it quickly, not wanting the color to run even more than it already has.

 

He dries himself almost mechanically, wrapping the towel around his hair before pulling his clothes on. Wiping the fog from the mirror, he assesses how he looks ― the collared shirt manages to cover most of the hickeys on his neck, thankfully, but there are still a couple that are too high to cover. Sighing for what feels like the millionth time, he plugs in the hairdryer and hastily dries his hair, running a hand through the fluffy, curly mess once it's fully dry. The color is a little paler now, but the damage isn't too bad. He styles it quickly and heads back to the bedroom to grab his beanie ― there's a piece of hair on the top of his head that just isn't cooperating today, so instead of fighting with it he figures he should just cover it up.

 

Steeling himself, he heads out to the kitchen after tucking his phone into his pocket. He's still going to call Saeko and tell her what happened and also tell her that she possibly has to drive the eight hours to Kyoto to pick him up, but he figures he can put that off until after he talks to Noya.

 

Unsurprisingly, he finds Tsukiko and Miyako in the kitchen, cooking something together. What does surprise him, however, is the fact that Mari is still there. Her red hair is a tangled mess and she's still wearing her clothes from the night before, and she looks slightly miserable as she nurses a cup of coffee.

 

“So you're finally up,” Miyako comments, turning to face him. “I was wondering when you'd show your face.”

 

Ryuu scratches his cheek nervously, swallowing hard. “I, uh...didn't mean to sleep so long,” he replies, frowning at the clock on the stove. He'd thought it was still around eleven when he first woke up, but it's actually nearly three in the afternoon.

 

“Heard you've had a rough day so far,” Mari says, offering a crooked, slightly pained smile.

 

“I'm guessing you know too, then?” he sighs, rubbing his face.

 

“I was kinda shocked when Grams told me, honestly. You two were...pretty convincing, I think you had everyone fooled yesterday,” she answers.

 

“What _I_ want to know,” Miyako begins, folding her arms across her chest, “is why you two decided to lie to us about something like this.”

 

“Mother,” Tsukiko says quietly, resting a hand on Miyako's shoulder. “Not now. Leave him be, we shouldn't make him explain alone. _Especially_ since I'm almost certain it was all Yuu's idea, anyway.”

 

Miyako huffs, turning back to the vegetables she's chopping up. “It just doesn't make any sense to me, especially since they both ―”

 

“ _Mother_ ,” Tsukiko says again, more sharply this time.

 

The old woman shakes her head. “Tsukiko, he can't be  _that_ dense that he doesn't know.”

 

“Don't know what?” Ryuu asks, brows furrowed.

 

Mari reaches over and gives him a sympathetic pat on the arm. “You'll figure it out eventually, Ryuu-kun.”

 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Tsukiko cuts in before anyone else can say anything, “Yuu hasn't picked up any of my calls, Ryuu-kun. I don't know where he could've gone...”

 

Ryuu swallows hard, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Thanks for trying, Tsukiko-san.”

 

“I'll try again in a little bit,” she promises, looking determined. “He's acting like a coward right now and I didn't raise him like that. But for the time being, let's eat our very late lunch, alright?”

 

Tsukiko and Miyako quickly finish cooking the food, and as they all sit down to eat, Ryuu tries his best not to think about the fact that Noya is very clearly avoiding him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY RYUU WHY DO I DO THESE THINGS TO U
> 
> surprise pov next chapter!! bet u guys cant guess who it is B) ANYWAY i hope u all enjoyed this chapter even tho im mean to ryuu :') as always, yall can tell me ur thoughts here or on [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com), i love hearing what u guys have to say!!
> 
> i'll be adding chapter 11 within the next few days, i promise :')


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK SO i meant to have this chapter up 2 days ago but i got lazy and yesterday my new 3ds xl + xenoblade chronicles came in the mail and i had to work so that was my day yesterday BUT im here now with chapter 11!!
> 
> i hope u all enjoy!!

There's nothing that Tanaka Saeko finds more pleasant than waking up naked with her equally-naked boyfriend pressed against her back. Akiteru's body is big and warm and it surrounds her completely, and she's pretty sure she could very easily fall asleep again if he was still sleeping. He's already awake, though, running his fingers absently through her hair. When she rolls over to face him, she finds smiling golden eyes looking at her fondly.

 

Yes, there's nothing better than this.

 

Except maybe morning sex, which can totally still happen.

 

“Morning, beautiful,” he greets her, a crooked smile on his lips.

 

She rolls her eyes, a soft snort escaping her. “Morning, you cheeseball.”

 

A soft laugh escapes him. “You know you love it.”

 

Her face softens. “Mm, I do...don't know why, but I do.” She nuzzles her face into his broad chest. “You been awake long?”

 

He hums. “Not really. Long enough to hear your cute snores, though.”

 

Quick as a flash, she reaches up to flick the tip of his nose, causing him to yelp. “I don't snore, Aki-chan,” she says petulantly, rolling back to face the wall instead of him.

 

A reluctant smile pulls at her lips when he presses soft kisses up the back of her neck, pulling her back flush against his chest. “Of course you don't, must've been a ghost,” he amends, and she can feel the shape of his smile against her skin.

 

Turning her head back, she reaches back to toy with his soft blond hair. “That's better,” she whispers before he kisses her gently, causing her eyes to flutter shut.

 

Just as they're opening their mouths to deepen the kiss, Saeko's phone starts to ring. They both ignore it in favor of letting their tongues tangle together lazily, and within a few more seconds the ringing stops. They don't even have time to be relieved about it, though, because it starts ringing again almost immediately.

 

“Fuck,” she mutters, dragging herself away from her boyfriend's lips and reaching for the first article of clothing she sees, which happens to be the shirt Akiteru had been wearing the night before. Shrugging it on, she ducks to give him another quick kiss. “Wait for me here, I'm gonna answer this out there,” she tells him, sliding a hand through his hair and allowing her fingernails to scratch along his scalp the way she knows he likes it.

 

“Hurry back,” he says before she's out of the room, phone in hand. It had stopped ringing again, but she doesn't even get to check the caller ID before it's ringing once more, Yuu's name flashing on the screen.

 

Why is he calling her?

 

Her first thought is that something must've happened to Ryuu, and her heart jumps into her throat. With a whispered curse, she hits talk and lifts the phone to her ear. “Yuu-chan? What's going on?”

 

“ _Nee-san I fucked up,”_ is the first thing she hears. _“I fucked up real bad, shit, what am I gonna do?”_

 

“Whoa, Yuu-chan, calm down for a second and tell me what happened,” she says calmly as she enters the living room and begins to pace. “Ryuu is okay, right?” She needs to be sure.

 

“ _I...yeah, he's not hurt or anything, don't worry.”_

 

“The way you said that worries me,” she tells him, chewing on the nail of her thumb. “When you said you fucked up...does it have something to do with my brother?”

 

It's silent for a few seconds before she hears Yuu curse quietly to himself.  _“Yeah, nee-san, it does.”_ He sounds like he's about to cry, and immediately, Saeko feels her protective instincts kick in.

 

“Tell me exactly what happened,” she says firmly.

 

“ _Okay, well―fuck, alright, here goes,”_ he begins, and she hears him take a shaky breath. _“So like, the family reunion was yesterday, and...well, everyone got really drunk last night, and...my cousins were being really clingy toward Ryuu, and it really pissed me off, y'know? I just...couldn't stand watching it. So I dragged him inside, and...fuck, nee-san, I can't face him after what we did last night, I'm so angry with myself and he probably only did it because he was drunk so he probably doesn't wanna talk to me anymore but fuck nee-san I can't lose him over this I can't―”_

 

“Whoa whoa _whoa_ Yuu-chan, breathe,” she cuts in, eyes wide. “Okay, so what I'm getting from this is that you two fooled around last night because you were both drunk and you think that it's going to ruin your friendship with him, is that right?” She pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. So much for her peaceful morning...

 

“ _...that's basically it, yeah,”_ he replies, voice shaky. _“I'm such a fucking coward, I ran out of the house before he woke up...I'm the worst kind of person, nee-san...”_

 

She sighs, resting a hand on her hip as she continues to pace. “So you didn't even _try_ to talk to him about what happened?” She takes his silence as a no, and it draws another sigh from her. “Okay, so how do you feel about what happened last night? Do you regret it?”

 

“ _...the only reason I regret it is because I probably lost him over it, nee-san. Other than that...I don't regret that it happened. I've...wanted to do that for a really long time.”_

 

She stops beside a wall, resisting the urge to bang her head against it. “So what you're telling me is that you have a thing for my brother.”

 

“ _Yeah, I do.”_ His voice cracks, but he still continues speaking. _“I swore I'd never say anything about it to anyone because, fuck, he's my best friend and I didn't want him to somehow find out and be scared off but fuck, nee-san, I've loved him for so fucking long and I just couldn't take it anymore! I saw my chance and took it like the asshole that I am and now I'm gonna fucking lose him because of it...I'm such a fucking idiot...”_

 

“Yeah, you are,” she deadpans. “Both of you are the biggest fucking idiots I've ever met, I swear to god...”

 

“ _What's that supposed to mean?!”_

 

Raking a hand through her hair, she takes a deep breath. “Yuu, I love you like you're my little brother, which is why I'm not going to hold back right now and say what I need to say―you need to fucking grow a pair of balls and talk to Ryuu about how you feel instead of running away and avoiding him or I swear to god I will hunt you down and shove my foot so far up your ass that it comes out your mouth. Got it? Because if you don't fucking talk to him then you're going to hurt him so much more than you even understand and I'm not about to let that happen. You understand me?”

 

“ _But he probably doesn't wanna see me right now!”_

 

“Listen, Yuu, I know my brother. I can assure you that right now, he _needs_ you to talk to him about what happened and be completely truthful. You two dumbasses aren't going to get anywhere if you don't _talk_.”

 

“ _...but I'm scared.”_ His voice is small as he admits it, and Saeko feels a twinge of pity. 

 

“The Yuu-chan _I_ know doesn't let fear stop him from doing _anything_. Where did he go? Is he still in there somewhere?”

 

“ _This is different, nee-san! I've never...I've never had something so important to lose before. Can you really blame me for being scared?”_

 

Sighing again, Saeko lets her head fall back against the wall, eyes closing. “Yuu, I can _guarantee_ that you're going to lose him for sure if you don't talk to him soon. Please, I don't wanna see you guys lose each other over this. Take the chance you have, okay? Don't give up before you even try, it's not like you at all,” she tells him gently.

 

She hears him inhale sharply.  _“Fuck...you're right, I'm being a wimp, aren't I?”_

 

“Yes, you definitely are. So are you going to talk to him or not?” she asks, opening her eyes and finding Akiteru making his way into the room in just a pair of boxers, eyebrow raised in question.

 

“ _Yeah, nee-san, I will. I need to make it special, though...because Nishinoya Yuu never does anything halfway,”_ he says, sounding much more like himself.

 

Saeko can't resist smiling. “Go get him, tiger.”

 

“ _Thanks for talking sense into me, nee-san. You're the best,”_ he tells her before the line goes dead. Shaking her head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation, she throws her phone onto the couch and rubs at her face with her hands. That conversation was oddly draining.

 

“What happened?” Akiteru asks, moving close enough to wrap his arms around her. She nuzzles her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him in response and taking a deep breath.

 

“It was Yuu-chan. He was having a little crisis, but I fixed it like the amazing big sister I am,” she replies, smiling into his skin. “In other news, he admitted to being in love with Ryuu, so I guess that's something.”

 

“It's about time,” he comments. “So I guess now's a good time to ask you to move in with me, huh?”

 

Saeko pulls back, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

 

The question clearly makes him nervous, because he lets go of her to fiddle with his fingers. “Well, I just...I assume they're going to want to live together, which means you wouldn't be leaving your brother here alone, so I figured...I dunno, I just figured I'd ask.”

 

Unable to help it, her lips stretch into a wide grin. “You fucking goober, you don't have to get so nervous. Of course I'll move in with you,” she answers.

 

A visible sigh of relief leaves him. “Good, because...it's been nice, having you all to myself these past few days. I don't want it to end,” he admits as he tilts her chin up, leaning down to connect their lips.

 

Still smiling, she breaks the kiss a few seconds later. “I love you, you big nerd.”

 

Grinning, he lifts her into his arms and starts carrying her out of the room. “I love you too, you little nerd.”

 

“How unoriginal, Aki-chan. I'm disappointed,” she teases. “By the way, where are you carrying me?”

 

His grin turns mischievous. “I'm carrying you to the shower,” he replies.

 

She raises an eyebrow. “Is that your way of telling me that I stink?”

 

He laughs. “Of course not, you smell fine. It's my way of telling you that I wanna make sweet, sweet love to you against the shower door, obviously.”

 

“How charming,” she teases as they reach the bathroom.

 

He sets her down on the floor, turning to start the water. “If you're complaining, you can leave the room right now and I'll enjoy my warm shower by myself.”

 

But she's already tugging his shirt over her head and flinging it aside, stepping forward to press herself against his back as her lips find the skin just below his ears. “Who said I was complaining?” she whispers huskily, nipping at his pale skin.

 

He shudders visibly. “You have  _got_ to stop being so perfect,” he mumbles, stepping into the warm spray and pulling her in behind him.

 

She grins. “Impossible.”

 

So maybe that perfect morning is  _still_ salvageable.

 

* * *

 

It's nearing sunset when Ryuu's phone finally chimes with an incoming text message. Eyes widening, he scrambles to unlock his phone and check it, feeling his stomach lurch when he sees Noya's name on the screen.

 

_C'mon, Ryuu, just open it,_ he tells himself, taking deep breaths.

 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he opens the message. Slowly, he cracks his eyes open, and the words on the screen gradually go from blurry to clear. When Ryuu reads the message, his breath catches in his throat.

 

_From: noya  
meet me @ the togetsukyo bridge asap. i gotta talk to u abt smth_

 

Immediately, Ryuu springs up from where he's sitting on the bed, nearly tripping over his feet in his hurry to get to Tsukiko. When he finally reaches her, he's doubled over and panting.

 

“Ryuu-kun? What's with all the running?” she asks, eyes wide.

 

He holds up his phone, straightening up and trying to regain his breath. “How do I get to wherever that is?” he asks, swallowing hard.

 

Tsukiko's lips stretch into a smile. “I'll drive you there. Tell him you're coming.”

 

Nodding rapidly, Ryuu begins typing out his reply as he and Tsukiko hurry toward the door. It's hard for him to slide his shoes on while he types, but he somehow manages.

 

_To: noya  
im leaving ur house right now, be there soon_

 

He hits send as he's climbing into the passenger door of Tsukiko's car, and immediately tucks his phone into the pockets of his jeans. He's nervous as hell―he doesn't know what's going to happen.

 

He supposes there's only one way to find out, though.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM ALWAYS A SLUT FOR THE TANAKA SIBLINGS SO THIS CHAPTER WAS FUN TO WRITE \o/ and now the akisae tag on this fic is actually kinda justified?? nice
> 
> THE NEXT CHAPTER HONESTLY MADE ME CRY LIKE A FUCKIN BABY I WAS SO EMOTIONAL SO PREPARE URSELVES!! i still need to fix a few things and shit so it probably won't be up until the weekend at least lmao
> 
> anyway, as always i love hearing what u guys have to say (even if i dont get around to replying to every comment!!) so feel free to tell me ur thoughts here or on [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com) bc it really brightens my day to see ur comments!!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is.........the Big Chapter
> 
> this is my favorite chapter of the entire fic honestly it makes me rly emotional so i hope you all enjoy!!

The sky is a brilliant orange when Tsukiko drops Ryuu off by the bridge in question. Ryuu would think it was pretty if he wasn't so focused on trying not to throw up from his nerves.

 

“You're going to be fine,” Tsukiko assures him, resting her hand on top of his. “I promise that everything will work out for the best, okay? Call it mother's intuition.”

 

“I really hope you're right, Tsukiko-san,” he mumbles, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Thank you for driving me here.”

 

She smiles. “It's no problem. Good luck, Ryuu-kun.”

 

He nods in thanks before reluctantly climbing out of the car, straightening his clothes before taking a deep breath and making his way over to the bridge. It's pretty big, but thankfully not very crowded―there's a couple little groups of people scattered across it, and...

 

Near the middle, Ryuu sees Noya's unmistakeable figure leaning against the side of the bridge. His back is to Ryuu, his eyes turned toward the beautiful forest across the water, and Ryuu pauses for just a moment to appreciate the fact that he looks like something straight out of a romance novel.

 

Except this isn't a romance novel, Ryuu reminds himself. If it was, he'd probably be a whole lot happier at the moment...

 

Things are about to change between them, he knows it. Whether it'll be a good or bad change remains to be seen, but...he supposes he'll find out any minute now.

 

He continues moving closer until he's not even three feet away from his best friend, at which point he awkwardly clears his throat.

 

Slowly, Noya turns to face him. His expression is unreadable, which is such a strange thought―Ryuu's always been able to read him perfectly, but...he has no idea what Noya is thinking right now, and it's kind of terrifying.

 

“It's pretty here, isn't it?”

 

Ryuu jumps, not expecting the sudden question. “I...yeah, I guess it's pretty nice,” he replies, trying to keep himself from wincing. The air between them is so tense, so awkward, and he doesn't know how to deal with it because Ryuu has _never_ felt awkward around Noya before.

 

“Okay, shit, I didn't expect things to be this awkward,” Noya says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “I guess I should just...start talking, then?”

 

“Wait,” Ryuu cuts in, his heart feeling as if it's about to beat right out of his chest. “Before you say whatever it is you have to say, I have something I need to say first.”

 

Noya's brow furrows. “Can't it wait till I'm done? It's...really important.”

 

Ryuu bites his lip. “The thing I have to say is really important, too...” He just wants to get it off his chest as soon as possible in case the important thing that Noya has to tell him is that he doesn't think they should talk anymore.

 

“...wanna flip a coin?” Noya asks, barely meeting his eyes.

 

Ryuu sighs, swallowing hard. “I guess that's fair.”

 

Noya digs a coin from his pocket. “Heads or tails?”

 

“Heads,” Ryuu replies, hoping desperately that he's making the right decision.

 

Nodding, Noya flicks the coin into the air with his thumb, and they both watch as it spins a few times before Noya catches it and lays it on his hand.

 

...it's tails.

 

Trying to keep his disappointment off of his face, Ryuu looks up from Noya's hand to his face and shrugs. “Guess you can go first, then.” It's a wonder he manages to keep his voice from shaking―outwardly he appears calm (or at least he hopes he does), but on the inside he's an absolute wreck. His nerves are frayed, waiting for the inevitable end of their friendship. The thought makes him feel sick.

 

“Yeah...okay, uh, wow, how do I even say this?” Noya asks, mostly to himself, raking a hand through his messy hair. “I don't...I don't even know where I should start,” he admits with a forced-sounding laugh. When he meets Ryuu's eyes, Ryuu is surprised to see how scared he looks.

 

Scared of what, Ryuu doesn't know, but he does know that he doesn't want Noya to look like that anymore.

 

“Noya, just...whatever it is, you should just say it. I can take it,” he sighs, wrapping his arms around himself as if to protect himself from the proverbial blow that is most certainly going to hit him when Noya opens his mouth again.

 

“Fuck, okay, I...” He stops to take a deep breath, shutting his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again and staring directly into Ryuu's with an intensity that almost makes Ryuu want to look away―the weight of that look is just...hard to bear. “I've been keeping something from you for a _really_ long time, Ryuu, and I just...I don't think I can do it anymore. I know I probably screwed our friendship up beyond repair last night, but I just― _fuck_ , Ryuu, what I'm about to tell you fucking terrifies me but it has to be said, y'know?” Ryuu watches as Noya's hands clench into fists as he squares his shoulders, taking a shuddering breath. Unconsciously, the taller man holds his breath as Noya begins to speak again, eyes widening as he dares to hope. “I _love_ you, Ryuu. God, you don't know how much I love you. How _long_ I've loved you. And I don't mean as a friend, even though I _do_ love you as a friend obviously, but―fuck I'm rambling, I'm sorry I'm just so nervous and I can't stop my mouth from moving oh my god okay I need you to like say something in the next two seconds preferably before I freak out more than I'm already freaking out I'm sorry I know I probably just fucked things up between us forever but―”

 

Barely even conscious of his body moving forward, Ryuu finds himself pulling Noya to his chest and hugging him so tightly that he's sure it must hurt. Noya doesn't complain, though, in fact he's gone completely silent―Ryuu can feel how quickly his heart is beating, though.

 

He doesn't know how long they stand like that, but after a moment, Ryuu feels Noya's shaky arms wrap around him, a loud exhale escaping him as he relaxes in the taller man's hold. Ryuu feels like he's dreaming―everything feels so surreal...

 

“Ryuu?” Noya says hesitantly a few moments later, not moving his face from its spot against Ryuu's chest. “You haven't...uh, you haven't said anything yet...”

 

“Just give me a few more seconds to let it sink in,” he whispers, giving Noya another squeeze. Taking a deep breath, he pulls away just enough to be able to meet Noya's eyes, and he can't resist reaching a hand up to run it through Noya's soft hair. “Noya...no, shit, Yuu...you have no idea how much I've wanted to hear those words come out of your mouth. God, I've been in love with you since we were second years in high school.” Saying the words out loud to Noya fills his stomach with butterflies, the kind you get when you're at the very top of a rollercoaster and full of anticipation as you wait those few seconds for the drop―it's terrifying and exhilarating all at once. “I never even considered...fuck, no, I never _let_ myself consider that you might feel the same way, because you never said anything and you _never_ keep quiet about anything, y'know?”

 

Noya looks down, avoiding Ryuu's eyes. “There were _so_ many times when I wanted to tell you, but I always got scared before I could go through with it...you're too important to risk losing, Ryuu.” A quiet laugh escapes him then, and he shyly looks up to meet Ryuu's eyes; Ryuu is surprised to that Noya's are beginning to fill with tears. “I guess I don't need to be afraid of that anymore though, do I?”

 

“Don't you dare cry,” Ryuu warns halfheartedly, already feeling himself get choked up as he sees Noya's eyes fill completely with tears, the wetness catching on his long eyelashes. “If _you_ cry, then _I'm_ gonna cry and...and...no one wants that...” He swallows the building lump in his throat, blinking away the wetness from his eyes in vain as he watches Noya's face scrunch up, bottom lip caught between his teeth before he grabs Ryuu by the neck and tugs him down, tears slipping free and sliding down his cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut and presses their lips together. Ryuu allows his own eyes to close, a few tears escaping against his will. He tightens his hold on Noya, hands resting on his back and pulling him as close as possible, and suddenly Noya begins to laugh into the kiss. It's kind of choked-sounding, but Ryuu knows it's a happy laugh.

 

“I can't believe this is happening,” Noya admits hoarsely, another choked laugh escaping him as he lets go of Ryuu's neck to wrap his arms around his torso instead, nuzzling his face into his chest. “Look at us, crying like fucking babies...”

 

Overcome with pure affection for the man in his arms, Ryuu can't resist pulling back and leaning down, pressing kisses all over Noya's face. He tastes like tears, but Ryuu doesn't care―Noya loves him, and _god_ does Ryuu love him back.

 

“It's your fault that I'm crying,” Ryuu murmurs between kisses, delighting in the laughter that his actions bring forth. He slows down the kisses, placing a final kiss on the tip of Noya's nose as he whispers, “Hey.”

 

Noya's eyes crinkle with his smile, still slowly leaking tears. Ryuu thinks he looks beautiful. “Hey,” he replies, rubbing their noses together.

 

“I love you so much,” Ryuu tells him, reaching up to wipe the tears from Noya's face with his thumb.

 

But the tears start to come faster again at Ryuu's words. “Asshole, don't say shit like that when I'm already crying!” he chokes out, reaching up to scrub at his face with his hands almost violently.

 

“I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not,” the taller man says with a cheeky grin, reaching up to wipe his own tears away.

 

Noya shakes his head, another laugh bubbling out of him. “Well I love you too, you fucking jerk.”

 

Neither is able to resist another kiss, uncaring of the other people on the bridge who are probably staring. With the warmth of the sunset washing over them and the knowledge that they both love each other, they're content to stay there for a while longer in their own perfect little bubble.

 

* * *

 

When they get home a few hours later, long after the sun has set, Miyako gives them a hard time. They both look to Tsukiko to save them, but she simply turns her head away from them with a shit-eating grin on her face and basically throws them to the wolves without remorse.

 

“I can't believe you two would lie about something like this for such an idiotic reason,” Miyako exclaims angrily, deep brown eyes practically on fire as she goes on her tirade. “Idiot grandson, you dragged poor Ryuunosuke-kun into this because of a little nagging on mine and your mother's parts?” Noya cowers at his grandmother's scolding, and Ryuu wants to tease him about it but then Miyako turns those sharp eyes toward him, causing him to gulp. “And _you_ , Ryuunosuke-kun! You went along with it, so you aren't innocent either!”

 

“Hey, don't blame him for anything,” Noya protests, holding Ryuu's hand a little tighter and pulling him closer almost protectively, and Ryuu's heart effectively melts. “This whole thing is _my_ fault, Grams, he only went along with it because he was being a good friend. I don't even understand why you're so mad about it, it's not like we hurt anyone by lying! Plus it ended well!”

 

“I don't like the fact that you thought you had to lie to us!” Miyako shoots back, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring harder. “We're your _family_ , Yuu, you could've just told us to lay off and we would have left you alone about not dating anyone! Idiot grandson, we only nagged you because we were worried and we wanted you to be happy!”

 

Tsukiko chooses this moment to step in. “Mother, I think that's enough. In Yuu's defense, we _were_ a little overbearing when it came to his love life when we really had no business being like that, he's an adult who can make his own decisions...and he's right, it all ended well and now he _is_ happy. There's nothing to be angry about―they're the only ones that suffered because of the lie, after all. It's time to leave them be and celebrate the fact that they've stopped being blind idiots, hmm?” She shoots them both a gentle smile, and Ryuu is once again _so_ thankful to have her.

 

“Hmph. I'm going to bed, I'm still tired from yesterday,” Miyako mutters, hefting herself out of her seat and shuffling away to her bedroom.

 

Tsukiko sighs. “Don't mind her, boys, she'll come around,” she tells them with a small, reassuring smile. “She's never reacted well to being lied to...honestly, I'm surprised she managed to hold the anger in until today. She'll get over it soon, though.”

 

“I won't apologize for this lie,” Noya says defiantly, lifting his chin. “This lie is the only reason Ryuu and I are together now, so I refuse to apologize. I won't ever take anything that happened in these past few days back.”

 

“Yuu...” Ryuu leans their heads together, giving the small hand in his a squeeze. A smile breaking out on his face, Noya turns his head enough to rub their noses together, and Ryuu feels his heart swell with love.

 

“The important thing is that you're both finally happy,” Tsukiko says softly. Her eyes look a little wet. “I'm so happy that everything worked out for you two...”

 

Ryuu and Noya share a brief look before they stand to pull her in for a hug. Ryuu towers over both of them so their faces end up squashed against his chest, but neither seems to care―Noya is kissing his mother's cheeks and Tsukiko is laughing and crying, squeezing them both as tightly as she can.

 

“We couldn't have gotten here without you,” Ryuu tells her with a soft smile.

 

They hug for a few seconds longer before Tsukiko pulls away, wiping at her eyes. “I'm going to go to bed before I cry on you two any more than I already have,” she announces with an embarrassed laugh. She ducks in to kiss Noya's cheek before stretching onto the tips of her toes and pulling Ryuu down by his shoulder to do the same. “Goodnight, boys. I love you both.”

 

Noya echoes her, but Ryuu is frozen. His eyes prick with tears, and he can't resist pulling the older woman into another hug. “I love you too...Ma,” he whispers, unable to speak any louder due to the lump in his throat.

 

A soft sound of surprise escapes Tsukiko before she hugs him tighter, rubbing his back gently. When Ryuu lets go of her, she reaches up to rest a hand on his cheek, wiping away the tears building in his eyes with a tender, motherly smile before she silently turns and walks away, leaving him alone with Noya.

 

“I think you calling her that meant a lot to her,” Noya says quietly a few seconds later as he wraps his arms around Ryuu, resting his head against his arm. “You okay?”

 

Ryuu grabs him around the waist, leaning down to kiss the crown of his head. “I'm alright,” he replies, still sounding a little choked up. “We should go to bed too,” he adds.

 

“Alright.” Noya lets go of him and takes his hand instead, and they walk down the hallway to their room in companionable silence. They stop at the bathroom to brush their teeth, and once inside their room they shed their clothes and slip into bed together. A peaceful feeling fills Ryuu as Noya cuddles as close as possible, resting his head on Ryuu's bare chest.

 

They don't say anything for a while, so long that Ryuu thinks that Noya's fallen asleep. But then he lifts his head so that he can look at Ryuu's face, a small grin pulling at his lips. “I know this isn't the first time we've cuddled like this, but...it feels different, doesn't it? Or is that just me?” he asks, propping himself up on his elbow.

 

“No, you're right...it does feel different,” Ryuu hums in agreement, reaching up to run a hand through Noya's messy hair. “It's probably because we don't have to be careful anymore. There's no need to hold back so that it doesn't feel like something it's not, y'know? We can just...relax and enjoy it, now.”

 

“Mm...yeah, that makes sense,” Noya murmurs, a soft laugh escaping him. “I don't know about you, but I like it _much_ better this way.”

 

Ryuu smiles, kissing Noya's temple. “Me too.”

 

A happy sigh leaves the smaller man. “We'll have to call nee-san and tell her it all worked out tomorrow, won't we? She's probably out of her mind wondering what happened...”

 

Ryuu snorts. “I think she can guess, after how much I've whined to her over the years about how stupidly in love with you I am.” His cheeks burn as he says it, and he can see Noya's face go slightly red in the moonlight streaming in through the window.

 

“Hearing you say shit like that...it's really nice. It doesn't feel real though, y'know? I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up and find out I was just dreaming,” Noya admits, looking down.

 

“I know how you feel,” Ryuu replies, sighing. “Honestly? Saying shit like that is really fucking embarrassing, but...I spent so long  _ not _ saying it that I feel like I need to,” he tells him, biting his lip. “I want you to hear it now that I know it's okay, I guess.”

 

Ryuu hears Noya's breath catch in his throat before he's lurching forward and throwing his arms around the taller man's neck, crushing their lips together. Ryuu feels a dull pain in his lip where it had smashed against his teeth, but it doesn't bother him much―he's too preoccupied with savoring the feel of Noya's lips against his own to care.

 

“I love you so much,” Noya breathes between kisses. He draws back slightly, offering a crooked smile. “I can't...I don't even know how to describe what I'm feeling right now. I guess it's probably relief? I just...for so long, I thought I was the only one, y'know? And I felt awful, like I shouldn't feel that way about you because you're my best friend and it just...I dunno, it felt really wrong, like I stepping into forbidden territory or something,” he explains, brow wrinkling.

 

Ryuu's heart aches a little when he hears this―because he knows all too well how that feels, and the thought of Noya having to feel like that is beyond upsetting. “I know exactly what you mean,” he says quietly, lifting a hand to cup Noya's cheek. “I felt like an asshole for wanting more when I already had the best friend I could ever ask for...I felt like I was being greedy or something. Honestly...I was starting to make myself get over you when you asked me to come here with you.” A nervous chuckle escapes him. “It wasn't really working too well, but...still, I'm glad this happened when it did, because if you hadn't asked...” He bites his lip, looking down. “I might've gotten over you eventually, and we wouldn't be talking about this right now.”

 

“Let's not think about that,” Noya says decisively, rolling over to sit on Ryuu's lap and grabbing his face with both hands. “The past doesn't matter now, we don't need to look back and worry about what could've happened or beat ourselves up for being stupid, unnecessarily scared idiots for so long. Because everything worked out, and we have a whole future to look forward to―I love you, you love me, and that's all that matters to me now. Okay?”

 

Feeling a smile pull at the corners of his lips, Ryuu nods. “I'm cool with that.” Without warning, he rolls them over and starts kissing Noya all over, drawing loud peals of laughter from the smaller man beneath him.

 

“Ryuu, fuck― What are you doing?” Noya manages to say through the laughter, although he begins to laugh harder when Ryuu begins to kiss down his stomach where he's ticklish.

 

“I have a lot of years of no kisses to make up for,” Ryuu informs him with a devilish grin, stopping to give him a break. “Now seems like as good a time as any to start making up for them.”

 

“You smooth fucker,” Noya says, a little breathless from laughing so hard. He pulls Ryuu forward by the back of his head until their noses are touching, a sly smirk on his lips. “By that logic, I have a lot of kisses to make up for, too...” he points out, fingers sliding into Ryuu's messy hair.

 

“That's true,” Ryuu hums as he presses their foreheads together, eyes falling half shut. “Guess we can't afford to slack off, then...time to get to work,” he whispers before allowing their lips to touch once more, drawing a soft sound from Noya's throat as their eyes fall shut.

 

For the first time in his life, Ryuu thinks he won't mind working a little overtime.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERES SO MANY WAYS THIS COULDVE GONE TBH but im happy with how it turned out, it just felt right yknow? i hope yall agree :')
> 
> anyway, i havent started writing the last chapter yet bc 1. i work a lot and 2. xenoblade is eating what little free time i have but i'll try and get it written soon, i don't wanna keep yall waiting forever (even tho im sad to write the end bc this fic is my literal child)
> 
> as always, i'd love to hear what you guys have to say!! let me know here or on [tumblr](http://ceesarzeppeli.tumblr.com), i really appreciate everything yall say about the fic!!
> 
> see you all soon (hopefully) with the last chapter :')


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: shows up 10 months late with starbucks
> 
> IM SORRY I TOOK SO LONG I DIDNT KNOW HOW I WANTED TO END IT AND IT TOOK ME A REALLY LONG TIME TO FIGURE THAT OUT LMAO
> 
> anyway, longer, sappier note will be at the end, so for now, enjoy the final chapter!

****

It's hard to say goodbye when it's time to leave Kyoto. Ryuu thinks he hugs Tsukiko longer than even Noya does, earning a laugh from the small woman when he doesn't let go.

 

“I want you two to promise you'll call often,” Tsukiko says firmly when Ryuu finally lets her go. “And Yuu, you're not allowed to wait so long to visit again, I expect to see you two more from now on. Maybe Mother and I can even visit you sometime. Either way, I want to see my boys more. Understood?”

 

The two nod, and Ryuu wraps an arm around Noya. “We promise we won't be strangers, Tsukiko-san,” he tells her, smiling.

 

Noya echoes him, grinning at his mother. “We'll see when we can get more time off from work and go from there, Ma.”

 

Clearly appeased by this, Tsukiko steps forward to hug them one more time. “I'm going to miss you boys,” she whispers, squeezing them tight. “Call me when you get home so I know you made it there safely, okay?”

 

“We will,” they reply in unison, squeezing her back.

 

They let go a moment later, and Ryuu looks down to find Noya frowning. “Is Grams not going to say goodbye? I know she's still mad at us for lying to her, but still...”

 

Tsukiko sighs, shaking her head. “You know how she is, Yuu. She loves you, though, and she's going to miss both of you.”

 

“There's no need to speak for me, Tsukiko,” Miyako calls from the doorway, making her way toward them. “I can speak for myself.”

 

“Grams!” Noya exclaims, face brightening.

 

Miyako's face softens. “I know I've been stubborn these past few days, and I'm still angry that you boys lied, but that wasn't going to stop me from coming out to say goodbye. Now come here and hug me, both of you.”

 

They rush forward to hug her, and Ryuu smiles when he feels her hug them back. “I don't know why you lied, but I suppose what matters is that you're happy now. Take care of each other, alright?” the old woman says gently, patting their backs.

 

“We will, Grams,” Noya replies, voice equally as soft.

 

Ryuu feels her arms tighten before she lets go, not meeting their eyes. “Well, get going, you two have a long drive ahead of you,” she says, and there's an edge to her voice that Ryuu knows means that she's trying not to cry.

 

Smiling softly, Ryuu nods, picking up his bag off the ground. “We'll call as soon as we get home,” he promises the two older women, reaching out with his free hand to take Noya's hand. Noya laces their fingers together and squeezes.

 

Tsukiko wraps an arm around her mother, a watery smile on her face. “Drive safely,” she says, almost pleading.

 

“We will, Ma,” Noya tells her, turning toward his little orange car. Looking up at Ryuu, he asks, “Who's driving first?”

 

“I can,” Ryuu offers, and Noya immediately hands him the keys. They walk over to the trunk of the car, letting go of each other's hand to put their bags inside, and then they climb into the car and get themselves buckled in. Ryuu starts the car, and they offer Tsukiko and Miyako a final wave before pulling out of the driveway to head for the highway that will take them home.

 

The car is silent other than the radio for a little while. When Ryuu glances over at Noya, he finds him staring out the window pensively, chin resting on an upturned palm.

 

“You okay?” he questions, reaching over to rub Noya's hand that's resting on the seat beside him.

 

Noya looks startled for a moment as he sits up straight and meets Ryuu's eyes, but then he smiles. “I'm alright,” he replies, sliding their fingers together and squeezing. “Just tired, I guess. It's been a hell of a week,” he adds with a crooked smile. “It'll be nice to get home. Although I'll miss Ma and Grams, I guess.”

 

“You wanna stay with me tonight?” Ryuu asks, thumb stroking the back of Noya's hand. “Nee-san will probably have a fit if she doesn't get to interrogate us, anyway.”

 

Noya snorts, but nods. “I'd love to stay with you tonight, my dearest boyfriend,” he answers with a teasing grin, and Ryuu tries to ignore the butterflies that erupt in his stomach at Noya referring to him as his boyfriend. “I couldn't in good conscience leave you to deal with nee-san alone, after all.”

 

“Oh, so that's the _only_ reason you wanna stay?” Ryuu teases, raising an eyebrow. “It has nothing to do with sleeping next to me? I'm hurt.”

 

Noya laughs, letting go of his hand to give him a playful shove. “Shut the fuck up, Ryuu,” he chuckles, and Ryuu glances over just in time to see his face soften. “In all honesty, I've gotten used to falling asleep next to you, and waking up with you in my arms...I guess I'm just trying to put off going home to an empty bed,” he admits.

 

“Then don't,” Ryuu says impulsively, and his cheeks immediately go hot as he realizes the implications of what he's said. He isn't going to take it back, though―he wants nothing more than to wake up to Noya's face every day, for him to be the last thing he sees before falling asleep.

 

“Ryuu,” Noya breathes a few seconds later, eyes wide. “Are you asking me to live with you?”

 

“I...” Ryuu swallows hard, an embarrassed smile on his face. “Yeah, I guess I am. What do you say?”

 

“I'd love to live with you!” Noya exclaims, and the smile on his face is more radiant than the sun. “Living alone gets a little lonely, y'know? I can't think of anyone else I'd rather live with, anyway...”

 

Ryuu can't help but laugh, feeling giddy. “I think nee-san's wanted to move in with Akiteru-san for a while now but she held off on it because she didn't wanna leave me alone, so...I think this will be good for everyone,” he says, turning his attention back to the road. “Everyone gets what they want this way.”

 

“We'll have to tell her as soon as we get home,” Noya says excitedly.

 

Ryuu hums in agreement. “I wonder what she'll say.”

 

“Knowing nee-san, she'll be super excited and give us bear hugs from hell,” Noya replies, shuddering as he thinks about Saeko's hugs. The woman is a demon when it comes to hugs―Ryuu swears she'd almost cracked his ribs once.

 

* * *

 

It's nearly one in the morning when they finally get home, since they'd stopped a couple times for food and gotten a little lost, and they expect to be able to just slip inside Ryuu and Saeko's apartment quietly and sleep. But of course, it can't be that easy.

 

Saeko pounces before they're even fully through the door, grabbing them both around the neck (and stretching onto the very tips of her toes to get her arm around Ryuu's) and pulling them close, squeezing them tight. “What took you two so long?!” she asks, and the volume of her voice is slightly piercing to their tired minds.

 

“Stopped to eat, got lost,” Ryuu mumbles, wrapping an arm around his sister. “Missed you, asshole,” he adds, leaning down to press his face into the crook of his shoulder. She smells like home.

 

“I missed you assholes too,” Saeko murmurs, quieting down and tightening her hold on them before kissing their cheeks. “It's been too quiet around here without you idiots.”

 

“It's been a crazy week,” Noya sighs, a tired smile on his face. “But it's nice to be home.”

 

Akiteru emerges from the bathroom, offering a smile. “Welcome back,” he says in greeting.

 

Ryuu nods in acknowledgment. “Thanks, Akiteru-san.”

 

He watches as her sister shares a look with her boyfriend before she looks between Ryuu and Noya, clearing her throat. “I know you guys are tired from driving all day, but do you mind sitting with us for a few minutes?” she questions, sounding a little unsure. The tone of her voice makes Ryuu's brow furrow―she seems almost nervous, and he can't figure out why.

 

“Sure,” Ryuu replies, a little hesitantly.

 

They move to where the couch and chair is, Saeko and Akiteru occupying the couch with their hands linked while Ryuu plunks down into the chair, Noya settling onto his lap and pulling Ryuu's arms around himself as he settles against his chest.

 

“So? What is it?” Noya asks, raising an eyebrow.

 

Saeko and Akiteru share another long look, and then Akiteru turns to meet their eyes. “I've asked Saeko to move in with me,” he announces, the words leaving his mouth in a quick gust of air.

 

“And...I said yes,” Saeko adds, fiddling with a strand of her hair.

 

Ryuu looks up at Noya, raising an eyebrow, and then they both start to laugh. It seems that their own announcement will be a little easier, now.

 

“What's so funny?” the elder Tanaka asks, pouting.

 

“Nothing, it's just―” Ryuu takes a deep breath, still chuckling. “See, earlier today, I kinda asked Yuu to move in with me, so...it looks like everything is gonna work out for everyone.”

 

Saeko's lips pull up in a wry grin. “You two don't waste any time do you? A couple days of dating and you're already moving in together...”

 

“Nee-san,” Noya whines, “we've been best friends for ages so it's not like it's weird!”

 

Her smile softens. “I know, I'm just teasing. I'm really happy for you two numbskulls, it's about time this happened anyway. I was really worried that you two actually _would_ be too stupid to realize that you loved each other, y'know.”

 

Ryuu scowls. “Okay, so maybe we're not the best at reading each other's feelings, but we made it in the end...”

 

Noya laughs, turning to kiss his cheek. “Don't pout, Ryuu, I mean...it _is_ kinda funny that it took us so long to get to this point, isn't it?”

 

His scowl melts away immediately, because it's impossible to resist smiling at Noya. “I guess...I'm just glad that I get to do this now,” he murmurs before giving him a short, sweet kiss, only to break apart when Saeko makes gagging noises.

 

“You two are disgusting,” she mumbles. “Aki-chan, I never realized how disgusting it would be to see them being all lovey,” she whines into her boyfriend's shoulder.

 

Akiteru laughs good-naturedly. “They've had to put up with worse from us,” he gently points out.

 

“Yeah, nee-san, so you can't complain about anything,” Ryuu says smugly, pulling Noya even more snugly against him, kissing his cheek for added effect.

 

Noya lets out a yawn, practically melting into Ryuu. “Now that it's been established who's moving where, can we go to bed?” he asks.

 

Saeko snorts, standing and pulling Akiteru with her. “I suppose. I expect you both to tell me all about the trip in the morning, though,” she replies, voice stern.

 

Noya stands, allowing Ryuu to stand as well, and Ryuu involuntarily smiles when Noya slips his hand into his own and squeezes. “We can do that,” he tells her, shrugging.

 

The short blonde smiles at them again, letting go of her boyfriend to wrap her arms around them both. “I really am happy for you two,” she says softly, kissing their cheeks. “I'm glad everything is finally sorted out, it was getting hard to watch Ryuu be so mopey about being in love with you and thinking he didn't have a chance.”

 

Noya grins at her. “You'll tell me all about the things he's said about me over the years, won't you?”

 

A matching grin appears on Saeko's face. “Obviously.”

 

“ _Okay_ , that's enough, time for bed,” Ryuu interrupts, steering Noya toward his― _no_ , he thinks with a flutter in his stomach, _their_ ―bedroom.

 

“Goodnight my sweet angels!” Saeko coos as Akiteru also pulls her away, blowing a kiss over her shoulder. “If you're going to bang, please do it quietly and safely!”

 

“ _Nee-san_!” they both exclaim in unison, faces immediately reddening. They practically run to the bedroom after that, Ryuu silently cursing his stupid, embarrassing big sister.

 

“I almost wanna have loud sex just to spite her,” he mutters, peeling his shirt off and watching as Noya does the same, their pants following promptly after.

 

“As much as I'd love to have loud, filthy, mind-blowing sex with you,” Noya begins with a grin, stepping forward to wrap his arms around Ryuu's waist, “I'm dead tired, so I don't think that's a good idea.” Winking, he adds, “That's what tomorrow morning is for, anyway.”

 

“I love you so much,” Ryuu mumbles, reaching up to cup his boyfriend's jaw as he leans down and kisses him, feeling his smile against his lips. He's sure he won't ever get tired of feeling that smile.

 

“I love you too,” Noya replies when they break apart, loosely taking hold of Ryuu's fingers and leading him over to the bed. They climb in together, immediately getting settled in each other's arms, with Noya's head tucked into the crook of Ryuu's neck. “Everything's changing so fast,” he says softly a moment later, toying with Ryuu's hand. “Just a week ago...never in my wildest dreams did I see us here, the way we are now. I never imagined we're get to this point, so...it's just kind of crazy, isn't it?”

 

Ryuu hums in agreement, pressing a soft kiss to Noya's forehead. “This always seemed like it was so far out of reach, like something that just...couldn't happen. But we're here now, and...I'm happy, Yuu. Really happy. Sometimes I think that maybe it's not even real, that it's just a really long, elaborate dream or something and I'm gonna wake up next to you back in Kyoto and still just...I don't know, not be with you like this? Does that make sense? It's just...it feels so nice that I'm scared it's gonna be taken away somehow,” he admits, feeling his face heat up.

 

A small, callused hand rests on his burning cheek. “It's real, Ryuu,” he says firmly, stroking the apple of Ryuu's cheek with his thumb. “You don't have to worry about this going away, because I'm here to stay. I love you, and there's nothing that can change that, not ever.”

 

“You make me feel so lucky,” Ryuu whispers, kissing the tip of his nose.

 

“You big sap,” Noya teases gently, sliding a hand up into fading blue hair and tugging Ryuu's head down so he can properly slot their lips together.

 

“You're the sap,” Ryuu shoots back, but his tone is warm. Maybe they're both saps, but he doesn't care―he wouldn't change a thing.

 

Noya yawns, burrowing deeper into both the bed and Ryuu's embrace. “I can accept that,” he murmurs, his voice soft and syrupy from the sleep that's creeping up on him. “Can we start bringing my stuff here tomorrow, Ryuu? Oh, and I suppose I'll have to tell the landlord I'm moving out...”

 

“We can definitely do that,” Ryuu replies, smiling. “I want you to move in as soon as possible...”

 

A soft laugh leaves the smaller man. “Tomorrow is the start of the rest of our lives together, Ryuu. Isn't that cool? I get to live with my best friend in the whole world, _and_ have sex with him.”

 

Ryuu chokes out a laugh. “You're ridiculous.”

 

Noya lets his eyes close, a wide grin on his lips. “But you love me.”

 

Ryuu's laughter calms, leaving a glowing smile in its wake. “Yeah,” he agrees, “I really do.”

 

“Hurry up and sleep, then,” Noya mumbles, a snort leaving him. “The sooner we sleep, the sooner we can start moving my stuff in.”

 

“Good point,” Ryuu hums. “Goodnight, Yuu...I love you.”

 

He feels a smile against his chest. “I love you too.”

 

Ryuu closes his eyes, but he feels too giddy to sleep. It probably doesn't help that he'd slept almost the entire time Noya had been driving...

 

Once he's sure Noya's asleep, he slowly creeps out of his embrace, intent on making some hot chocolate―he's sure that will make him at least a little sleepy...

 

To his surprise, he finds his sister already in the kitchen, hands wrapped around a steaming mug. She smiles softly when she sees him, already turning to pour some instant hot chocolate into another mug, turning their fancy coffee maker on to pour hot water into the mug once she's done. Distantly, Ryuu wonders who's going to keep it when she moves out.

 

“Couldn't sleep either?” she questions, stirring the contents of the second mug for a moment with a spoon before handing it to him.

 

He shakes his head, hesitantly taking a sip of the hot liquid and nearly cursing when it burns his tongue. “Yuu's passed out, though,” he tells her, a soft chuckle leaving him.

 

She laughs. “So is Aki-chan,” she says with a fond smile. “Any specific reason why you're still awake?” she asks, pulling out a chair at their little kitchen table, motioning for him to do the same. She's wearing one of Akiteru's sweaters, pulling it down over her legs as she perches on the chair, and Ryuu thinks it makes her look impossibly small.

 

He shrugs. “I slept a lot in the car. And...” He rakes a hand through his hair, sighing. “I keep thinking about how everything's going to change now. Yuu's moving in, you're moving out...it's just a lot to take in, I guess.”

 

“Are you sure you want this to happen?” Her eyes are suddenly full of worry and she sets her mug aside to lay a hand on his arm. “Ryuu, if you don't want me to move out―”

 

“Whoa, easy, I never said that,” he cuts in, unable to help the laugh that escapes him. “I want you to be happy, nee-san, and moving in with Akiteru-san is going to make you happy. I know it's something you've wanted for a while, but you didn't wanna leave me alone. But I promise it's fine, _I'm_ fine―it's just a lot happening at once, so it's gonna take me some time to get used to it. But I promise it's what I want to happen, I mean...I'm the one who asked him to live with me. It's just...” He bites his lip. “Do you _really_ think it's too fast?”

 

She furrows her brow, thinking, then gasps when she realizes what he means. “Oh my god, Ryuu, are you talking about that comment I made earlier? I swear I was joking. I mean yeah, you two have been dating for less than a week, but? You've been best friends for so long, so there's nothing wrong with you two living together. It's not like you're _strangers_ , jeez. I'm sorry, bro, if I'd known that comment would make you worry, I wouldn't have said anything...”

 

“No, it's okay, you don't have to apologize,” he assures her, squeezing her hand that's still resting on his arm. “I guess I just...even though I'm a grown man, I really wanted your approval, since you're, uh...you're more of a parent to me than our parents have ever been, so...” His sentence trails off as embarrassment floods through him, and he promptly fixes his gaze on the steam coming out of his mug since he doesn't think he can look his sister in the eyes right now.

 

Saeko's hand leaves his arm, a muted sniffle escaping, and when his head snaps up, he finds tears streaming down Saeko's face that she's hastily trying to wipe away with the too-long sleeves of Akiteru's sweater. Immediately feeling panic set in, he scoots his chair closer to hers, hands hovering in the air because he's not sure what he should do with them. “Nee-san...?” he asks carefully, swallowing hard.

 

“I'm sorry,” she chokes out, tears clogging her throat. “It's just, hearing that...it makes me really happy, to be able to be that for you. I always worried about you not feeling loved enough, since our parents were never really here for us, and even when they _were_ they still weren't really parents, so I just always wanted to make sure I could give you enough love to make up for them being shitty parents, y'know?”

 

Unable to help himself, Ryuu grabs her and pulls her in for a hug, burying his face in her shoulder as his eyes fill with tears. “I love you, shitty nee-san,” he whispers.

 

She lets out a watery laugh, squeezing him tightly. “I love you too, shitty little bro,” she replies, kissing his cheek. “And I love Yuu, too, so you don't have to worry about my approval. You two make each other happy, and that's all I could ever ask for. You're both going to be fine.”

 

Ryuu lets out a shaky breath, feeling his worries disappearing with it. “Thanks,” he says thickly, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “I'm glad you're moving in with Akiteru-san, y'know. He's really good to you, so...I know you'll be okay, too. But, just so you know...there's always gonna be room for you here, okay?”

 

He feels her arms tighten even more. “You jerk, you're going to make me cry even more than I already am if you say shit like that,” she mumbles, holding on a few seconds later before letting go and picking her mug back up, taking a sip of her drink. She clears her throat. “Drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold, yeah?”

 

Without really even meaning to, he smiles, knowing she feels awkward because he does too. Even though they have a good sibling relationship, they never really get mushy on each other like that, so it's just...embarrassing. “Yes, _mother_ ,” he snickers, lifting his mug to his lips and taking a drink. She kicks him, causing him to spill it on his lap, laughing as he quietly swears at the heat and reaches for a towel to wipe it up.

 

They sit in mostly silence as they finish their drinks, and even though Saeko finishes hers first, she waits for Ryuu to finish his before getting up and taking her mug to the sink, giving it a quick rinse. Ryuu follows suit, and they head back toward the bedrooms without a word.

 

Saeko grabs his arm just as they're about to split off to their own rooms for the night, tugging him in for another bone-crushing hug. Ryuu bears it, hugging her back even though he feels like his ribs are breaking, and when she lets go, she grins.

 

“G'night, Ryuu, I'll see you in the morning,” she says brightly, standing on the tips of her toes so she can ruffle his hair.

 

He returns the favor, ruffling hers even more, laughing quietly when she complains and tries to fix it. “Night, nee-san,” he replies, and then they're disappearing into their rooms.

 

Noya's sleeping form is exactly where he'd left it, and he feels a wave of fondness wash over him when he sees him drooling all over the pillow. As carefully as he can, he climbs back into bed.

 

Noya stirs, and in the darkness, Ryuu can barely make out the sleepy look in his eyes as he lifts his head the slightest bit, blinking slowly. “Ryuu...?” he questions, reaching up to wipe the drool from his face with the back of his hand.

 

“Shh,” Ryuu hushes him, pulling him to his chest and kissing the crown of his head. “Go back to sleep, it's okay.”

 

Noya makes an unintelligible sound and nods. “Love ya,” he mumbles, already falling asleep again.

 

“I love you too,” Ryuu whispers, and really, he does. And he doesn't know if he's ever going to get used to Noya knowing, to Noya _loving him back_ , but...he really can't wait to find out. He's pretty sure his future's never looked brighter, but, well, when you've got your own personal sun, he thinks that's probably kind of inevitable. Yes, things are going to change now, but...he knows it's not a bad thing. He's ready for their relationship to continue evolving, ready to watch everything unfold from here on out, ready to see exactly where the future takes them.

 

Because first and foremost, Noya is his best friend. That's something that will never change. And as long as he has his best friend by his side, Ryuu thinks he can face just about anything.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't believe i finally made it, but...this is it, y'all. the end. that's kinda crazy, huh? this fic was like my baby for so long, and finishing it is really bittersweet. im glad to have finally reached this point, though, and honestly i don't know if i would've if it wasn't for all of you who have been reading it and commenting and leaving kudos and such. you all made me want to do my absolute best with this fic, and even though it took 10 months to get the last chapter up, i can say with confidence that i feel as if i've done my best for yall, and for myself. im always hesitant about starting multichaptered fics bc im always scared i'll never finish, but...you guys made me want to finish, so this is for you as much as it's for me.
> 
> so thank you, everyone, because i couldn't have done this without you.
> 
> as always, feel free to hang out with me on [tumblr](http://todorokishoutos.tumblr.com), whether its to tell me what you thought of the fic, to request more fics, or even just to talk. i love you all so much, thank you for sticking with me for so long, and for loving this fic as dearly as you have. i appreciate every one of you!! you all make me so proud to ship tananoya, because the tananoya fandom is one of the warmest feeling fandoms i've ever been in tbh. stay awesome, yall!!

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is very much appreciated! im gonna try and restrain myself from uploading everything super quickly since i dont wanna run out of chapters and keep yall waiting extra long for a new one so i might update once or twice a week? idk i'll figure that shit out
> 
> feel free to talk tananoya to me on [tumblr](http://jojosspookyadventure.tumblr.com) if u want :^)


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